"What, you asked me to lift the defense order given to the High Seas Fleet? Absolutely not, it's too dangerous! ”

In the spacious and bright solemn study, Emperor William, who was dressed in a single robe, was looking at the young man who suddenly appeared in front of him with a surprised face. He paused, and then said in an unquestioning tone: "The battle at sea is no better than on land, and the decisive battle of the fleet is completely different from the victory we have achieved in skirmishes before. ”

"At present, the High Seas Fleet has 5 battleship detachments and 2 battle patrol detachments, and neither the time spent on the change of formation nor tactical maneuvering can be compared with the battle between one or two warships. Once the slightest accident, close to the 30 capital ship cluster is grabbed by the other side of the T-shaped cross, it will inevitably suffer heavy losses, which Etel should be very clear about, right? Therefore, rather than using this fleet to carry out a crazy adventure that may lead to the loss of all money, it is better to keep them safe in harbor as an important bargaining chip in our future negotiations with the British. As a veteran naval officer, William was well aware of the risks he would face in a decisive battle at sea, and even directly rejected Qingying's opinion.

For William's point of view, Qingying had already expected it in her heart. Although the naval emperor took advantage of the situation and built a powerful fleet that shook the world during the rise of Germany, he did not truly grasp the essence of sea power and risk fleets like Tirpitz. In fact, the sense of belonging to the British royal family, the illusion of the change of attitude of the British government, and the love for his "sweethearts" were even the most important reasons why William ordered the fleet to be reduced to the harbor. Sometimes, Qingying really wanted to take an axe and split William's head to see. The atrophied monarch with a shrunken left hand with Queen Victoria's direct blood flowing through him. What kind of complex thinking does he have: why he can be wise and decisive in the governance of the state? And in terms of strategy against Britain, they are both snakes and rats, always wandering between war and peace?

At present, the German High Seas Fleet has not yet reached the best time to take the initiative. Therefore, although Qingying wanted to reverse his cheap father's thinking in one step, this time he still formulated a strategy to save the country: that is, to adopt a step-by-step approach, gradually let him loosen the shackles of the navy. In the face of William's veto, he patiently explained: "Actually, I don't want the High Seas Fleet to attack. Rather, it is hoped that the defense order of Tongguò will be lifted, so that the battle patrol commanded by General Hipper can be better exerted. ”

"In the naval battle of Helgoland Bay that broke out on 2 June, it was precisely because all our capital ships had stayed at the port of William and never had any cruises out of the port that the British dared to send a light fleet to raid our base on Helgoland Island and drove a large number of small ships directly into the face of our high seas fleet." Qing Ying followed the draft prepared before, and said to William, "And even at present, in response to the Empire's minelaying operations in the southern part of the North Sea, the British often send warships to harass and interfere. If only our battle cruisers could cruise these areas regularly. The best deterrent response to the provocations that the British Navy is carrying out or is about to carry out will be the best deterrent. ”

"Just let the battle cruiser go on a cruise to sea?" I can hear Qingying's words. The expression on William's face gradually soothed a little. He pondered for a moment, then said, "If you just let six fast capital ships sail, the risk is indeed much smaller than that of a battlefleet group. However, it is also a risk that we should not take. Our battlecruisers did not deserve the title 'cruiser' at all, and their speed at full load displacement could only reach about 24.8 knots; In the absence of the main fleet as a backup, it will be quite difficult to escape in the event of an emergency. In addition to that British fast fleet with 9 battle cruisers, our fleet will be threatened by mines and submarines; At present, the number of our capital ships is in a weak position compared to that of the United Kingdom, and each capital ship is a valuable asset and cannot be lost lightly. ”

"Although the Imperial War Cruisers are more like battleships, they can reach speeds of more than 26.5 knots under the overload of strong pressure and ventilation, which is enough to allow us to evacuate safely in the face of a strong enemy. Judging from the naval battle of the Gulf of Helgoland, the average speed of the British battle cruisers did not exceed 25 knots, and if they dared to abandon 3 invincible and 3 tireless, and only use 3 Lion class to pursue at high speed, then the relationship between the hunter and the prey of the enemy and the enemy would be directly reversed. Qingying explained in detail.

"In addition, we have ships that can take off and land aircraft at sea, the kind of aircraft that can soar in the air, which will undoubtedly greatly expand the reconnaissance horizon of our fleet. As for the threat of submarines to capital ships, the British battle patrol formations also often cruised in the North Sea. The failed attempts of the Imperial submarine forces to ambush the British battle cruisers had led to the conclusion that it would be almost impossible to ambush the capital ships in the vast expanse of the sea with a submarine with poor visibility and slow speed. Qingying was really a little speechless about William's unusual mentality: the stronger the fleet, the more precious it was and it couldn't take risks, what kind of strange logic was this?

The sound of cicadas is faint, and the wall clock is slightly chirping. This time, however, William did not find a direct rebuttal. He was silent for a while, and then said with some puzzlement: "Ettel, why are you, like Alfred (Tirpitz), always thinking about fighting to the death with the British?" The English are hereditary to us, and Hohenzollern and Saxony are more intimate than the Romanovs to which your lover belongs; The reason why they came against us this time was completely deceived by the French, and this nation that sent their king to the guillotine was doomed to be doomed for all eternity! Once we have captured Paris, regained the glory of 1870, and taught the disobedient little Nicky a hard lesson, the British will naturally wake up and sit back at the negotiating table with us. ”

"If the relationship between the British royal family and I, Hohenzollern, is really more indestructible than gold, then why did they come to the Entente with France in 1905 and finally stand in opposition to Germany in this war over a colonial dispute? In the final analysis, it is in the colonial context of the current era of imperialism that the economic factors representing the core interests of the country have completely overwhelmed the role that the individual will of the traditional dynastic monarch can play! On Björk Island, wasn't the treaty of alliance signed between Nikolai and your father ruined by the Russian ministers and the French financial oligarchs who controlled the real economy of Russia? Qingying couldn't bear it anymore, and couldn't help but slam a punch directly on William's crystal-clear dream, and said loudly, "We are no longer fighting against the Saxons, but against the pride and greed of the Anglo-Saxon people who have ruled the seas for three hundred years, and against the pride and greed of the Anglo-Saxon people, who have ruled the seas for three hundred years, and who have been fighting against the fear, anger, and unwillingness to look directly at reality. And if we want to gain their respect, we can rely on only one thing, and that is the glittering armor and the fist wrapped in iron armor! ”

William froze in place. In my mind, the magnificent Buckingham Palace was suddenly frozen, and then shattered into tiny glass chips, and disappeared into a dead darkness. Gilded carriages, exquisite sculptures, gentlemen and aristocrats dressed in fine attire at dinner parties, and pious chants in the church...... All these qiē that he had learned during his visit to London also dissipated, leaving only a Gothic castle and a Teutonic sword, still by his side, warm, hard, and real. East Prussia rustles birch pine trees, streams and rivers gurgling, and a herd of horses neighing through the fertile and fertile land; Only here is his homeland, his homeland, his true belonging.

――――――――――――――

"Let the battlecruisers go out when conditions allow." A hoarse word broke the silence in the room. William raised his head, looked calmly into Qingying's eyes, and said, "However, the use of the main force of the High Seas Fleet must be done cautiously, and it is not allowed to leave the port unless it is absolutely necessary. ”

Qingying looked at the gray eyes quietly for a moment, and then nodded slightly, respectfully admitting yes.

"Sue Alfred that his submarine can strike without reservation. However, any ship sailing at sea, whether warship or merchant ship, as long as it was flying the British or French flag, could be sunk without warning. William's unusual hoarse voice regained a little, and the words he said also shocked Qingying's heart.

Prior to this, because Wilhelm did not want to deal heavily with his British relatives, the German submarine forces were mostly limited to British warships: for British merchant ships traveling to and from the mainland, German submarines were warned first, and then sunk after the personnel on the target ship had evacuated. Before retreating, the British sailors had already radioed the Guò ship, reporting to the nearby ships and the Admiralty in London that there had been a German submarine here. And because the German Navy at this time did not have a deep understanding of submarine warfare, it actually listened to the British to send signals to friendly forces in such a grand manner, and the guide itself lost a lot of results that should have been achieved.

As for the passenger cruise, William still calmly restrained his urge to catch them all. Although the ships were flagged with British and French flags, it was highly likely that the people on board were from abroad: if the sinking of the cruise ship had caused the death of American citizens, it would undoubtedly have caused a rather unfavorable international dispute against Germany. But even then, with this order, the Atlantic will be a completely different scene. (To be continued......)

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