Chapter 218 Naval Battle (1)

At 9 a.m., a piercing combat alert echoed over the German High Seas Fleet in the Norwegian Sea. The fleet that set sail this time was of the same scale as before, consisting of an Essex-class aircraft carrier, the battleship cruiser Scharnhorst, the battleship cruiser Gneisenau, the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, and several cruisers and destroyers.

According to the plan, they were supposed to intercept the British fleet heading to Iceland and annihilate it. The intelligence they received indicated that this British fleet comprised several battleship cruisers, heavy cruisers, and destroyers, and they were confident in dealing with it.

"Report! Reconnaissance planes spotted the British fleet 220 kilometers southwest."

On the bridge of the aircraft carrier named "Graf Zeppelin", Lütjens looked at the marked position of the British fleet on the sea chart, calculating the fleet's speed, their orientation, and speed. In another 20 minutes of forward movement, their planes could be deployed to attack the British fleet.

But the staff's report was not over. "Uh, there is an additional battleship in the British fleet."

"What?!" Everyone on the bridge was instantly shocked. Wasn't it said that there were only a few battleship cruisers and heavy cruisers? How did a battleship suddenly appear?!

Lütjens hurriedly asked, "Did the reconnaissance plane make a mistake? Have them confirm again!"

"Yes!"

Watching the staff rushing out, the people on the bridge exploded with discussion.

"What's going on?!"

"Why did the British fleet suddenly have a battleship?!"

Someone even said anxiously, "Could this be a trap set by the British? Have we fallen into the encirclement of the Royal Navy?!"

Lütjens hammered the command table covered with sea charts with his hand. The bridge instantly fell silent. Despite appearing calm, he was caught in a dilemma. This time, their departure was a bit of a desperate move. If they returned empty-handed again, the surface vessels of the navy might truly become obsolete. Well, it might not even be necessary for them to exist.

But now, with an extra battleship in the British fleet, just thinking about the formidable combat power of a battleship made him shudder. If handled improperly, this fleet might face complete annihilation.

"Captain, Captain!" Just when Lütjens was at a loss, the staff who had just left came running back.

Lütjens seemed to grasp a lifeline and asked urgently, "Did the reconnaissance plane make a mistake?!"

"No." The staff shook his head in a fluster, stammering as he replied, "No, His Highness is coming!!"

"What?!" Everyone was shocked again. How could His Highness be coming?!

The staff affirmed, "His Highness is on a reconnaissance plane that has arrived 100 kilometers away."

"Stop the fleet from advancing!" Although his head was a bit dizzy, Lütjens still issued the order. "Launch a squadron of fighters for escort immediately."

Wilhelm rode on a naval reconnaissance plane derived from the Mosquito bomber.

The reason he came personally was that he had no choice.

This morning, he received intelligence that the British Mediterranean Fleet's HMS Warspite had been transferred to the Home Fleet and had joined the British fleet heading to Iceland. Wilhelm didn't care how determined Britain was to take Iceland; what he cared about was that now the German High Seas Fleet was likely to be frightened back again.

This won't do.

Wilhelm is genuinely concerned that the German surface fleet might be repeatedly scared off, losing the courage to challenge the British fleet! All his efforts so far would be in vain.

Without a surface fleet, even powerful submarines won't last long underwater, and the idea of landing in Britain would become an empty promise. The British mainland would then serve as a springboard for future Anglo-American counterattacks on the European continent, putting the German military back into the dilemma of fighting on two fronts.

To avoid the possibility of hiding in a dark basement only to be shot in the head, Wilhelm decided to come in person.

Soon, the Mosquito reconnaissance plane arrived over the High Seas Fleet. Looking at the long aircraft carrier below, Wilhelm couldn't help but mutter, "Why no angled flight deck?" Only then did he remember that there were no angled flight decks on carriers during World War II; experimental carriers with angled decks would only appear a decade later.

"Didn't even think of this." After careful thought, he realized that they hadn't used features like the "Fresnel" lens optical landing aid system, catapults, arresting cables, and nets.

Wilhelm couldn't help but slap his forehead, lamenting the waste of an aircraft carrier. It seemed that even a person with a wealth of knowledge from the future couldn't cover all bases.

The Mosquito reconnaissance plane landed on the carrier deck. Lütjens led a group to welcome Wilhelm on the deck. "Your Highness, why have you come?"

Wilhelm inwardly cursed, "If you guys weren't so cowardly, would I need to come personally?"

Returning to the bridge, Wilhelm asked, "General Lütjens, have you located the British fleet?"

"Yes, we found it not long ago. But in the British fleet..." Lütjens' words were cut off by Wilhelm. "The British fleet added a battleship to the search, right? So now you're afraid again?"

Lütjens explained with a shameful expression, "Your Highness, if it were just a cruiser fleet, we could ensure its complete destruction. But now, with an added battleship, our advantage is not as clear. In case..."

Wilhelm rudely interrupted him, angrily saying, "No 'in case'! You are soldiers of the Empire! A soldier's duty is to face the enemy in battle! Now, the Imperial Army is charging on the land, the Air Force is bravely fighting in the sky, while you, the Navy, act like cowards, only knowing how to run away!"

Under Wilhelm's harsh reprimand, everyone lowered their heads in shame.

Seeing this, Wilhelm softened his tone a bit and continued, "Twenty-three years ago, our predecessors challenged the British naval supremacy. With their bravery and fearlessness, they tactically won, proving that the Royal Navy was not invincible."

From the damage ratio in the Battle of Jutland, Germany, with a pre-dreadnought battleship, a battlecruiser, several light cruisers, and destroyers, managed to eliminate three British battleship cruisers, three armored cruisers, and eight destroyers. Germany came out ahead and tactically won.

However, they did not achieve the strategic goal of annihilating David Beatty's battlecruiser force, lifting the Royal Navy's blockade of Germany at sea, and ensuring the full utilization of Germany's war potential. Therefore, strategically, they lost.

"Later, due to the machinations of some conspirators, we had to accept the terms of defeat. Our predecessors chose to sink their most beloved warships to the bottom of the sea rather than leave them to the enemy."

Some young staff members started to sob quietly.

"For revenge, we endured patiently for 20 years! And I also understand that relying on naval artillery confrontation, even with battleships twice the size of theirs, we can't defeat them. Only by relying on new weapons and new tactics do we stand a chance."

"I've entrusted the most powerful weapon the Empire can produce to you, and yet, are you so timid? Is it a lack of trust in me? Don't you believe that victory can be achieved with the weapons you have?"

At this point, Wilhelm shouted, "Do you believe in me?"

"Believe!" Everyone answered loudly in unison, with Lütjens being particularly excited. "Your Highness, you are the hope of the Empire, the guiding light for us!"