In a certain sea area in the middle of the Atlantic, a fleet of three large warships and two light ships sailed from southwest to northeast at a normal cruising speed. Pen & Fun & Cabinet www.biquge.info At this time, in the officer's conference room of this German war cruiser, a fierce debate was unfolding in a solemn atmosphere.

"The Earl has sunk, the Prince has been damaged, and before the main force of the High Seas Fleet arrives, we have become the only capable detachment of the Atlantic Fleet capable of maneuvering, and if we carry out the plan we have formulated to lure the enemy, we may attract an adversary that will be stronger than expected. If we run into a big guy like the Lexington class who runs fast, do we have a second way out but to fight for glory? The officer, who spoke with a sense of chagrin and anxiety, was of a burly figure, dark-skinned, and rough voice, and if he had taken off his military uniform and changed into civilian clothes, he would be no different from a fisherman who had been adrift at sea for many years.

Another officer, while wiping his gold-rimmed glasses with a handkerchief, analyzed in a serious tone: "Although the battle report we have obtained is not very detailed, I believe you should have noticed a very important information, our Count was reluctantly abandoned after being heavily damaged by enemy bombers, and the enemy's Hood also lost its mobility because of heavy damage by our air force before it was sunk by the Count and Prince. Although we cannot conclude from this that aircraft will replace warships as the masters of naval warfare, we must not underestimate the role of aircraft in naval warfare. Even if we don't run into a bad opponent like the Lexington class, it's a terrible thing to be targeted by enemy aircraft, so ...... I think we should operate in areas as far away as possible from the enemy's main fleet. ”

Someone immediately argued loudly: "What can we encounter on the vast sea?" If we hadn't encountered a single enemy ship for days, we would have been accused of deliberately avoiding the engagement, putting a coward's hat on us! ”

"What then? Is it possible to return to Flores Island? After this outrageous assault, Admiral von Oldenburg's detachment was in a very bad situation, and I think they would probably be trapped by the enemy's fleet at the naval base in Flores, and we would return at this time, and if we were lucky, we would be besieged by the enemy with them, and if we were unlucky, we would encounter the enemy's capital ships halfway. Another officer retorted.

From beginning to end, the commander of this combat detachment, Gunther Ruetyans, was in a surprisingly silent state, and it was difficult to tell from his somewhat overly calm face. The result of the abandonment of the "Count Tirpitz" due to serious injuries was indeed unexpected, it completely disrupted the mobile combat plan of Wilhelm August and the entire German Atlantic detachment, the medium aircraft carrier "Ottoman Sultan", which provided cover for the attack formation, was urgently transferred to reinforce the main force of the detachment, and the detachment of Lütjans became a guerrilla fleet that relied purely on surface combat power, and the two destroyers accompanying it had a limited range, and after two days of cruising in this way, they would have to return to the sea, and then only "Seydlitz" and "Moltke" would remainThe three battle cruisers of "Goben" and "Goben" were involved in the activities.

Then it was proposed: "Simply attack the British naval bases on St. Pierre Island or Bermuda at night, avoiding the enemy's main fleet and containing the enemy, killing two birds with one stone." ”

It sounded like a good compromise, and about a third of the officers showed clear interest, but at this point there was no change in Lütjans's confused eyes. After a while, a staff officer knocked on the door and reported to the officers that the seaplanes sent out reconnaissance had spotted a solitary unarmed vessel about 60 nautical miles north-east, and that it was preliminarily judged to be a supply ship supplying the enemy ships with fuel, and that, judging from its reverse sailing, should have returned to port after completing its replenishment.

Naturally, the officers present were not interested in such an empty freighter, but this report made Lütjans's eyes brighten, and he folded his hands in front of his chest and instructed the staff officers: "Let our planes conduct an all-round reconnaissance of the waters around it, and if the fuel is near, immediately send one to take over." ”

After listening to Lütjans's instructions, the officers of course realized that he was planning to play a role, but they could not figure out what kind of medicine was being sold in the gourd of this young and successful naval commander, so one of them asked: "Does the general want to use this freighter to lure the enemy light ships in the vicinity to an ambush?" ”

Then someone speculated: "We attack the bait at dusk, use the night to avoid the attack of the enemy's carrier-based aircraft, and quickly move after winning." ”

Rutteyans' eyes were downcast, which was a sign of lack of confidence for ordinary people, but for this new generation of admirals with very flexible thinking, it was a state of repeated pondering.

Just when everyone was being hung up, another staff officer hurried to the conference room, and his slightly excited expression made the officers present realize that he had brought good news.

"Our aviation forces inflicted heavy damage on an American aircraft carrier in the waters northeast of Flores Island, completely rendering it completely incapacitated. All enemy ships that had been approaching Flores Island had been evacuated. ”

This news really made everyone breathe a big sigh of relief. In any case, the remnants of the ships, including the "Prince Heinrich", were finally able to withdraw unharmed to the Flores Island Naval Base, where a first-class coastal defense fortress was built, as well as land-based aviation of the Navy and Air Force, which was a relatively safe haven for the short term. As long as the defenders of Texel Island hold out until the main forces of the German High Seas Fleet arrive, there is plenty of room for this battle around the Azores to reverse the plot.

Touching his chin that had just been shaved in the morning, Lütjans instructed the staff officer: "Send a message to General von Oldenburg, and if the situation permits, beg him to send the Ottoman Sultan and the Karl Emperor to cooperate with our combat operations, so that we will consider a night attack on the enemy's aircraft carrier formation, otherwise, we will turn north and launch an attack on the enemy's naval installations on the island of Saint-Pierre." ”

St. Pierre Island is located in the northeast of Canada, about 2,000 kilometers away from Flores Island, if you go at a relatively fast speed, you can reach it in two days and two nights.

Of course, Lütjans knew what everyone's doubts were, and after the staff officer left, he cleared his throat: "Our original plan was to lure the enemy alert fleet to take the bait with a deception, but the unexpected loss of the Earl changed our situation. If all goes well, the main forces of the High Seas Fleet will arrive in the Azores in two days. Despite the disappointment of the loss of the Count and Prince, the enemy paid the corresponding price, and now the biggest danger is not that the enemy has more battleships than us, but that they have more aircraft carriers than us, and it is our duty to clear the way for the main fleet. ”

The officers understood the simple truth, but the thought of three old battle cruisers charging towards the enemy aircraft carrier formation, protected by battleships and light ship groups, felt that it was tantamount to a death charge.

"To attack the enemy's aircraft carrier formation, according to the traditional understanding, we need to put the enemy's aircraft carrier within the range of the ship's guns, but the enemy will not give us such an opportunity at all, so I need the coordination of two aircraft carriers, in fact, they are the real main attack, and our role is to distract the enemy's attention and create an opportunity for our carrier-based aircraft forces to attack." ”

Hearing this, the nimble-minded officers were suddenly relieved, and those with dull qualifications had not yet turned the corner, and this gap was often the key factor in determining the outcome of a battle.

More than two hundred nautical miles away, William August and his remnants were already in sight of the outline of Flores Island. The sinking of the "Hood" brought great excitement and joy to the officers and men, but the loss of the "Count Tirpitz" was tantamount to pouring cold water on everyone's heads, and the surviving "Prince Heinrich" was also broken, which meant that it was difficult for the German Atlantic Fleet, which had high hopes, to play an important role in the next combat operations.

As a tactical victor, Wilhelm August felt annoyed that his lack of decisiveness had deprived the German Navy of greater strategic space in this important naval battle, but at the political level, Wilhelm August also achieved what he wanted - the report of the engagement was sent back to Germany truthfully, and it was soon unanimously praised by the Imperial Family, the General Staff, and the Admiralty, who believed that the German Atlantic Detachment had achieved great success in attacking the enemy's main fleet at night with two main battle patrols, "Count Tirpitz" Before the sinking of the ship, he and his entourage sank one enemy capital ship and severely damaged two, and 80% of the crew was saved, and William August, as the commander, took the first credit......

Receiving the telegram from Lütjens, William August hesitated for a long time. Prior to this battle, the two Confederate-class aircraft carriers had always been regarded as large auxiliary ships and non-capital ships, but after witnessing the heavy damage to the "Hood" by his own carrier-based aircraft and the ravages of the "Count" by the enemy's carrier-based aircraft, he, like many subordinate officers, realized the subversion of the traditional mode of naval warfare by the air force. After the decommissioning of the two Tirpitz Earl-class, the "Emperor Karl" and the "Ottoman Sultan" became his only trump cards, and he wanted to use the mobility of the two aircraft carriers to fight flexibly and keep the naval base on Flores Island and the remaining ships under his command, but Lütjans's telegram gave him another possibility.

"Use all the reserve aircraft of the Naval Base on the island of Flores to replenish the losses of the Emperor Karl as much as possible, and then send it to rendezvous with the Ottoman Sultan and be at the disposal of Rear Admiral Lütjans."

After giving the order, William August muttered to himself: Perhaps, that fellow who is highly regarded by His Majesty Joachim, can really create a battlefield miracle!

(End of chapter)