The fire reflected Scarpa Bay, the British Navy's hundred years of glory was trampled on the enemy's doorstep, when they realized that it was not an exercise, not an accident, but a sneak attack by the enemy, the British sailors were furious, they entered their respective posts under the command of the officer, and tried their best, ready to use their own qualities to teach the shameless sneak attackers, let them know the fate of angering the British Navy!

"Where is the enemy?" Angry sailors questioned each other, and the reality made them full of anger with nowhere to vent, and no one, from officers to sailors, knew that the enemy was there.

The soldiers quickly ran to the anti-aircraft positions, flares rising in the sky of Scapa Bay, as helpless as cruise ships calling for help on the vast sea. The high-power searchlights were also searched in the air according to the first object of suspicion -- the air raid, and the sailors nervously started the warship, and the destroyer with a fast speed had already left the berth, and the smoke pipe on the large warship was also emitting thick smoke, which was the first reaction of the officers and men of the navy after encountering the attack, first leaving the fixed berth, and then having the opportunity to counterattack.

When the explosion of the third battleship occurred, someone finally realized that the sneak attack could come from the bottom of the sea, which is also the most unlikely direction. But the blazing battleship Orion-class Conqueror proved that there was no enemy in any other direction, except in the event of an accident on the battleship - which was obviously impossible.

"Hey, three capital ships, we've made a lot of money now, let's go back immediately!" Dönitz grinned and left the periscope, turned back to the big smile and said, he couldn't see which ships were targeted, but they were definitely capital ships, and even if they were sunk and couldn't return to Germany, they would be able to earn back the fare.

The U34 submarine dived about 15 meters like a ghost, then slowly left the water area and began to accelerate. Rushing currents, a dense streak of shipwrecks and moorings awaited them, and, of course, British warships frantically searching for them. As for whether he could return to Germany and his relatives, not many people cared about it, but at least Raeder, who was in Wilhelmshaven, was most concerned not about their personal safety, but about whether the U34 submarine would achieve results -- this was related to the next plan of the High Seas Fleet.

The record of three capital ships and more than 60,000 tons is enough for Dönitz and others to be free for a while, provided that they can return to Germany safely. Like a muscle ripped out of the British, the U34 submarine was heart-wrenching to the British, and a widespread manhunt ensued. After receiving the news that the military port had been attacked and that three battleships had sunk and could not be repaired, the commander of the fleet, Callaghan, suddenly fainted, and his men ruthlessly used cold water to help him recover his senses - there was no way, now the fleet needed the commander to preside over the overall situation, and the commander also needed the commander to explain to the London side.

The news soon spread throughout the top echelons of the London government and the military, and the prime minister ordered the news to be blocked, and the relevant personnel and newspapers received gag orders. If the public had known that the British Navy had been dealt such a major blow - and that the culprits had not yet been identified and eliminated - I am afraid that both the ruling party and the parliament would suffer great reproach. Their plan was to eliminate the submarine and then make it public so that it would take pressure off the government and military, but before that they needed a scapegoat, and the navy had to come up with someone to take its mistakes aside.

This man is easy to find, and he must be in a high position in order to calm his anger. Callaghan, the commander of the Home Fleet who had been in Scapa Bay, was the best candidate, and the British naval hierarchy gradually calmed the internal discontent after the introduction of Callaghan, but they were asked to eliminate the German navy as soon as possible, which was the best outcome.

"The Navy must destroy the German High Seas Fleet, we can no longer stand the status quo of having a superior Navy but doing nothing, the Navy must explain the surprise attack on Scapa Bay, and we must give the Germans a larger counterattack!"

The clamor in parliament made Prime Minister Asquith helpless, and the tragic reality also made his explanation weak, and the Scapa Bay incident was a mistake of the Navy, but as Prime Minister, Asquith also bears the corresponding responsibility. On top of that, he had to bear the pressure from the British royal family, and although the royal family's voice was not as direct as that of Parliament, he still heard the idea of defeating the Germans and ending the war as soon as possible.

"Therefore, we can only speed up the pace of the war, and the plan to blockade the North Sea is very good, but it does not meet the needs of reality. The British people need a victory to strengthen the faith in the war, and we also need a victory to consolidate the hard-won position, gentlemen, how do you carry it out, I just need you to bring good news! "Of course, Asquith shifted the pressure to the head of the navy, and the first admiral Fisher and the second admiral Churchill could only swallow the bitter fruit and give the order to the home fleet to take the initiative and annihilate the high seas fleet as soon as possible.

After Callahan's forced resignation, Vice Admiral John Jericho, deputy commander of the fleet, became the new commander of the fleet, and he even envied Callahan, who had just taken office, because he did not have to continue to face this mess - the escaped German submarine had not yet been found, the search fleet had already entered the North Sea, and several times the whereabouts of the submarine had been touched, but there was no good news of sinking the other side; The investigation into the accident had begun, and the investigation into how the German submarine had entered Scarpa Bay had been slow, and a team of naval officers, intelligence officers, and engineers had been puzzled and concluded that there were spies inside who had leaked classified information about Scarpa Bay's water ripples, currents, currents, and the distribution of wrecks; The loss of three capital ships reduced the number of capital ships of the Home Fleet to a dangerous level, narrowed the gap with the German High Seas Fleet, and further increased the likelihood of defeat in naval battles; London's urgings forced Jericho to draw up a sortie plan to fight the High Seas Fleet with his existing warships.

According to his idea, it is the best tactic to completely block the high seas fleet in Williamsport and Bremerhaven, even if the fleet is decisive, it must wait until the subsequent capital ships are launched into service and the home fleet has an absolute upper hand in numbers. The end of 1911 or the middle of 1912 was a perfect time, but it was definitely not now.

It is a pity that war is never just a confrontation between soldiers and soldiers, nor is it just a confrontation between warships and warships, it is a continuation of politics, and all acts of war serve political purposes. The unfavorable situation of the Entente on the land battlefield required naval support in the English Channel, and the nearly 300,000 British expeditionary force needed massive war materials, and they needed complete control of the English Channel and the North Sea. British transport ships in the Atlantic also needed to be protected, and shipping routes were even more important to Britain than the 300,000 expeditionary forces, and London desperately needed the navy to defeat the high seas fleet and draw up forces to protect the fragile shipping routes and reduce the threat of German submarines. In the end, the Russians were isolated in Eastern Europe, and if the Baltic Sea Route was not broken for a single day, the Russians would not be supported for a single day, the so-called alliance would be precarious without the assistance of Britain and France, the Russians would face the danger of defeat under the blows of the German-Austrian forces, and if the Eastern Front collapsed, the Western Front would not be much better.

Just when the British were struggling with Scarpa Bay, the U34 submarine finally got rid of the British destroyers' pursuit and entered the German-controlled area of the North Sea. This experience was the most tragic period of Dönitz's life, and he believes that there will be no more difficult experience in the future. Behind him were countless British warships, and they had to do their best, constantly calculating and observing, and were discovered by British destroyers at least five times, but they were all dodged by the bold Dönitz. According to Dönitz, luck accounts for more than ninety percent of the successful return.

"Send a power to the base, report the results and where we are now, remember, be sure to use the highest password, I don't want to be sunk by the British when I am about to go home!" Dönitz said sharply to his side.

Finally entering the safe area, the U34 submarine can safely and boldly ascend, and the fresh air pours into the cabin, squeezing out the disgusting turbidity that has no taste. The crews climbed out to feel the beauty of the real world, their beards and haggards, their navy uniforms stained with oil and dirt, and their colors unrecognizable, as if they had survived in a toilet for a month - they were only one step away from a nervous breakdown.

Three days later, on the morning, the Wilhelmsport was filled with uniformed soldiers, recalling the arrival of four German-class battleships at the port, and the German navy was constantly growing, and one remarkable achievement after another strengthened the conviction of victory over the British navy. The most revered person in the crowd was undoubtedly the German Emperor Wilhelm II, who surrounded himself with a star-studded group of soldiers, Tirpitz, Heinrich, Schell, Hipper, etc., while one of the protagonists of the day, Commander Raeder, the commander of the submarine force, had to stand aside.

However, Raeder had no intention of complaining, because today was destined to be his most glorious day, and his subordinates, the U34 submarine led by Dönitz, had sent back a secret telegram three days earlier, and the successful attack on Scapa Flow, sinking three British capital ships, and the German spies had also obtained many clues from the British. Raeder reported the news to the Naval Staff, and after verification, the accuracy of the cipher could be confirmed. So happy, Wilhelm II decided to personally go to the port to meet the heroes of Germany.

"Welcome home, my warriors!" Wilhelm II stood in front of Dönitz and the others for a long time, he held Dönitz's hands tightly, the sloppy appearance and strange smell of the submariners did not arouse Wilhelm II's disgust, compared to defeating the British Navy, compared to sinking three battleships, this little bit of taste is nothing! (To be continued.) )