"I didn't expect that 20 years later, our two countries would be able to fight together against our former enemies." As Vice Admiral Spee disembarked from a merchant ship flying the flag of a neutral nation, Spanish Admiral Severa, who had fought in the Spanish-American War, walked briskly forward to welcome the German general and his men. Although Severa was very old at this time, he still came to greet Count Spee and the German naval officers and sailors he brought with him, which shows the importance that the Spanish side attached to this matter.

If you want to say why Lieutenant General Spee left Italy for Spain, the reason is very simple, although the Spanish side has hardware, but there is a lack of excellent generals, the only war it has participated in is the Spanish-American War more than 20 years ago, and today, it is obviously impossible for Cervila to go to the front again. Vice Admiral Housthis, who is the current commander of the fleet, has a very obvious gap between him and Count Spee, who has experienced many baptisms of war, in terms of actual combat experience and fleet management. As for the grass-roots officers and men, the gap is even greater, and there is a huge gap between those who have experienced war and those who have not, so in order to give better play to the role of the three capital ships, the governments of the two countries have decided after consultations that Germany will send some naval officers and men to Spain.

Because the Spanish-class battleships were modeled after the Moltke-class battleships of the German Navy. So the Germans were no strangers to this battleship. It can even be described as a light car. Although the weapon system comes from Huaxia, the turret of Huaxia's twin 14-inch naval guns is also improved according to German design, so it is not difficult to operate. In a word, the Germans were more familiar with this class of battleships than the Spaniards. After all, many of the German naval officers and sailors who came to Spain had served and fought on the Moltke!

As for how these sailors came up with it. This one is fairly easy. In the just-concluded decisive battle between the British and German navies, the Germans sank 4 warships, and the surviving grassroots officers and soldiers could be gathered together to make up more than 2,000 people. Coupled with the fact that the Scharnhorst, which was sunk in the Battle of the Mediterranean, some people can be put together, and if the Spaniards agree, the German Navy can completely replace the three key positions of the Spanish-class battleships with the Germans. Therefore, gathering these grassroots officers and men did not have any problems for the German High Seas Fleet, which had lost a large number of warships one after another, and there was only one biggest problem, that is, how to send these people to Spain! After all, the western part of the Mediterranean is now being accused by the Americans, and if they take the merchant ships of neutral countries. Apart from China, are there any merchant ships from other countries that dare to dock in the waters controlled by the Allied powers? Huaxia can ignore the Entente, other small countries don't have the ability!

Fortunately, Germany and China repaired their relationship before that. At the request of the German government, the Chinese government agreed to transport the men to Spain on its own merchant ships. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, the two sides made a careful plan for this matter, and the personnel also rushed to different ports to board the ship in batches. The Chinese merchant ships in charge of transportation also spared several places before sending personnel to various ports in Spain. At the same time, in order to ensure the continued combat capability of the Spanish-class battleships. The Chinese government agreed to urgently provide Spain with a batch of artillery, spare parts and ammunition. And this consignment had already reached the port of Santander in Spain before the Germans arrived. And it has already been delivered to the Spanish Navy.

Now it can be said that everything is ready, only the east wind is owed. The weapons personnel are all ready. Now it's time to discuss how to start fighting. And this time the Count of Spee met with Severa and Houthis to make a final strategy. As things stand, Spain's operations at sea were divided into two parts, the first of which was to concentrate forces on the capture of the fortress of Gibraltar. Of course, this is dominated by the army, while the navy is responsible for blocking the Strait of Gibraltar as much as possible with mines and submarines, based in the ports of Tangier and Ceuta opposite the fortress of Gibraltar. Choke off the US Navy's supply by sea. As for cutting off the retreat of the US Navy? Even if the Strait of Gibraltar is really occupied by Spain, the U.S. Navy can rush out!

So the question now is whether the U.S. Navy will continue to die in the Mediterranean, or will it withdraw from the Mediterranean and use the ports on the west coast of France as bases to encircle the shipping lines? If it is the former, there will still be a lot of pressure on the Mediterranean Fleet of the Allied Powers, mainly Italy, in a short period of time. In the face of the overwhelming superiority of the American fleet. Tycho didn't have the confidence or the idea to make a come. However, it was good news for the Spanish Navy, which had just come out of a major war and needed to recuperate. There were not enough forces in the entire Atlantic to pin down these three fast battleships. It is even possible to bombard certain ports while the French are unprepared. For example, the French Super Dreadnought that is being repaired in Saint-Nazaire.

And if the Americans choose to withdraw from the Mediterranean. If you retreat to the coast of France, although the situation of the Spanish Navy will be much worse, and even Spain's ports near the Atlantic Ocean will be attacked, but it will be much better for the situation of the entire Allied Maritime Powers, if Tycho's fleet can have 3 more super dreadnoughts, then the Allied Mediterranean Fleet will definitely have the ability to fight the Americans! More importantly, after controlling the Mediterranean, the submarine forces of the Central Powers could enter the Atlantic, which would inevitably involve a large number of escort warships of the Entente and affect the maritime transportation of the Entente Powers. Strategically, this is what Count Spee wants to achieve, the only question is whether the Americans will go the second way.

How will Americans choose? If Magifin can completely call the shots, Count Spee can conclude that Magiffin will definitely keep the fleet in the Mediterranean, and continue to reduce the Mediterranean fleet of the Allies little by little, until the other side is completely turned into a surviving fleet, at least until the land situation in North Africa is clear before deciding whether to withdraw from the Mediterranean. As long as North Africa could be regained under the control of the Entente, it would be equivalent to cutting off China's transportation routes to the Entente. It is certainly possible to retake Gibraltar or Tangier with the Army, which is undoubtedly the safest approach.

But the only question is whether the US government dares to put its fleet in this semi-closed environment? And can the U.S. government and the French government afford to break up diplomatic relations with three super-dreadnoughts and submarines? By the way, and can the French government be indifferent to the Spanish super-fearlessness that hits its doorstep? War is never just a game at the military level, there are many things to be linked to politics, Majifen himself does not want to go, but it does not mean that the people above him do not want to go, judging from the actions of the United States to enter the war, the US government seeks a stability, and will definitely not risk almost the entire fleet, although this danger is really not big, and if the sea transportation line is threatened, then the pressure from the US Army will also make the US government choose a more stable strategy, that is, to consolidate the Atlantic transportation line first and then consider something else.

"We will have the cooperation of the entire Entente group in this operation. According to the original plan, the submarines ordered from Huaxia and intended to be supplied to Italy were to be delivered to Spain to cooperate with the cruiser fleet to carry out the task of breaking the diplomatic relationship. The German Army will send some of its elite to North Africa in an effort to gain a certain advantage. The German High Seas Fleet was going to do everything to guarantee pressure on the British Grand Fleet. Prevent its division of troops in the Atlantic. Our mission was divided into two main parts, the breaking of diplomatic relations and the suppression of the west coast of France. "Count Spee laid out his plans and plans.

"The battleship formation will first attack some important ports on the west coast of France, and then turn northeast into the Atlantic Ocean to carry out a diplomatic breakup operation, and clear out some Allied cruisers that pose a threat to the attacking ships. Subsequently, a large number of camouflaged raiders, improved by civilian vessels, will join your country's cruisers in attacking the Atlantic transport line, and the submarines will be divided into two parts, one to cruise near the western entrance of the Strait of Gibraltar to monitor the United States fleet, and the other to carry out the task of breaking diplomatic relations. ”

"We must keep an eye on the movements of the American fleet and begin to arrange a back route before the American fleet reaches the North Atlantic, we will bypass the American fleet and then choose a suitable path into the Mediterranean, where the Italian fleet will be responsible for receiving us. There is a good chance that the Americans will carry out a retaliatory attack on the ports around Spain before leaving, so I hope that your country will do a good job of transferring and protecting important supplies before the official war begins. In addition, in order to strengthen your country's maritime reconnaissance and defense capability, 150 torpedo planes and bombers ordered by Germany from China will also be handed over to your country for use. They will be piloted by some of Germany's best pilots. ”

Germany did pay a lot of money in order to win over Spain to join its own front, and many of the first and second batches of supplies ordered after the restoration of relations with Huaxia were sent directly to Spain. A large number of experienced grassroots officers and soldiers were even mobilized to Spain from the already tight battlefield. In order to let Spain, the shadow, play its best role.

Finally, Count Spee boarded the Spanish Navy's flagship, the España. On this fast battleship full of German style, Count Spee couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "All the battles I've fought so far have been fought outside of German territorial waters. First in the Dutch East Indies, then in the Persian Gulf. Later the Mediterranean. Now it's the Atlantic again. It's really a trick. "Count Spee had fought alongside the Chinese navy, the Turks, the Italians, and the Austrians, and now he had to fight with the Spaniards against the Americans. According to him, he has crossed paths with almost every one of the world's most powerful naval powers. That's a miracle, isn't it?

The Spaniards concentrated their most elite fleet in the port of Santander, the closest military port to France, and it would only take a few hours to bring the French port of Bayonne into the range of their artillery, but the Spaniards did not aim at this port, but on Saint-Nazaire in France! Because there's a huge ship being repaired here, and that's when it's at its most vulnerable!

Thanks to the book friend zhouyu1976 and the book friend hukaikaka for the tip~~~. As well as the monthly pass support of book friends Power Shadow with the Wind, Orphein, F663026, Lonely Medusa, and Athlon9527~~. (To be continued......)