Chapter 224 Naval Battle (End)

Returning to the fleet, Wilhelm was the first to land of the Stukas. As soon as he climbed down from the plane, he was unceremoniously placed on a stretcher that had long been prepared and immediately rushed to the medical room.

The fleet doctor carefully examined the wound and revealed a panicked expression. "It was really close. If the shrapnel had deviated a little more, it would have hit your carotid artery, and the consequences would have been unimaginable. Although it looks okay now, you still need to go back to Berlin for a more detailed examination. Let me clean the wound for you."

Lütjens, standing nearby, looked guilty, wishing to kneel and apologize on the spot. "Your Highness, it's the incompetence of your subordinate. Your subordinate deserves to die!"

Wilhelm smiled dismissively. "General Lütjens, no need for death. Now you should understand that the British Navy..." He winced as the disinfectant stung the wound. "The British Navy is not invincible, right?"

Lütjens, full of admiration and respect, replied, "Yes, Your Highness, your foresight is truly admirable."

While the doctor was bandaging Wilhelm's wound, a senior staff officer hurriedly entered. "Your Highness, a message from His Majesty, urging you to return to Berlin immediately."

Wilhelm was taken aback. "Huh? Has His Majesty returned to the country?"

The staff officer shook his head. "No, His Majesty is still in China. This is a telegram sent from there."

"Oh." Wilhelm nodded. It seemed someone reported his whereabouts to William II. Otherwise, how could William II, thousands of miles away, know?

Nevertheless, the telegram arrived just in time. After the adrenaline returned to normal levels, the only thing left from the "blood rush" state was a sense of awe. He had become somewhat apprehensive about his recent reckless behavior and had no intention of staying here any longer. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The doctor had finished bandaging the wound, and Wilhelm couldn't wait to get up. "I'll be heading back now."

Lütjens was also eager for Wilhelm to leave; otherwise, a few more visits, and he might have a heart attack.

On the deck, thousands of carrier officers and soldiers stood neatly on the flight deck. When they saw Wilhelm coming out, a thunderous cheer erupted.

"General Lütjens, do you think their eyes are a bit different now?"

Lütjens sighed with emotion. "Indeed, Your Highness. I haven't seen such eyes in the navy for a long time."

"Yeah." Wilhelm walked to the front of the formation, raised his right hand in a fist, high above his head, and shouted loudly, "German Navy, engage the enemy at all costs!"

The crowd roared in unison.

"Engage the enemy at all costs!"

"Engage the enemy at all costs!"

The deafening shouts echoed through the sky.

"Engage the enemy at all costs" was, in fact, the traditional spirit of the Royal Navy.

In 1797, Nelson, in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, made a decisive move. Leading the "Captain" and "Excellent" to break out of the column, he engaged in close combat with the Spanish navy's "San Nicolas" and "San Josef", boarded and fought hand-to-hand, forcing the Spanish ships to lower their flags and surrender. After the battle, Nelson was promoted to Rear Admiral for his achievements. In subsequent legendary battles such as the Battle of the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar, Nelson continued to adhere to this style of combat.

This kind of spirit, disregarding the relative strength between enemy and ally and actively launching an attack, is later referred to as the "Nelson spirit" of "engage the enemy at all costs".

Unlike the army, which often relies on outnumbering in battles and has various possibilities, though very difficult and risky, it's still feasible. The navy, on the other hand, is different. When facing a superior enemy with a significant difference in tonnage and capabilities, there is essentially no chance of winning. Moreover, once a ship is sunk, the entire fleet is often lost. Therefore, in the navy, the ability to prevail with smaller forces, to confront the strong with the weak, and to advance bravely against the enemy are all valuable displays of courage.

The story of the British Navy's HMS Glowworm is precisely one such tale of courage and faith in the vast ocean, continuing the tradition of the Royal Navy's spirit of engaging the enemy at all costs.

HMS Glowworm, a G-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, was built in the mid-1930s. During the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and 1937, this warship enforced the arms embargo imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the civil war in Spanish waters. Shortly after the start of World War II, Glowworm was transferred from the Mediterranean Fleet to the British Isles for convoy escort duty. In March 1940, Glowworm joined the Home Fleet and participated in the Norwegian Campaign. On April 8, during the German invasion of Norway and the action to transport landing forces in the Weser Exercise, Glowworm encountered German destroyers. The German destroyers attempted to disengage and sought help from the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. In the naval battle that followed, Glowworm suffered heavy damage but still attempted to launch torpedoes at the German ships. Eventually, the two ships (destroyer Glowworm and German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper) collided, Glowworm's bow broke off, and shortly afterward, it exploded and sank.

This battle directly resulted in the "Admiral Hipper" being laid up in port until June of that year, effectively paralyzing the main force of the German Navy.

So, Wilhelm hoped that the German Navy could also have such courage and conviction.

It seems to have some effect now. He turned his head and whispered to Lütjens, "General Lütjens, while this is true, we must also act within our means and not act recklessly. The British Empire has centuries of heritage after all, and our navy cannot afford any major setbacks."

When World War II broke out, the British Navy had 6 aircraft carriers, 12 battleships, 3 battlecruisers, 56 cruisers, 183 destroyers, as well as a large number of auxiliary ships such as escort ships, submarines, and minesweepers. In addition, Britain had up to 20 million tons of merchant ships, accounting for one-third of the world's total tonnage.

The strength of the British Navy was not limited to the forces displayed on the surface. At this time, numerous warships were still under construction in British shipyards. Dozens of warships had been started, including 6 large aircraft carriers, one auxiliary light carrier, 5 King George V-class battleships, 23 cruisers, 52 destroyers, and a large number of submarines and escort ships.

Even though they severely damaged the British Navy and sank several large warships, the tonnage and quantity of the German Navy were still far inferior to the British Navy. Wilhelm dared not imagine if the German Navy were to suffer major setbacks and have several large warships sunk, whether they could recover.

Lütjens respectfully said, "Understood, Your Highness."

Wilhelm nodded and, after waving goodbye to everyone, boarded the Mosquito reconnaissance plane he had arrived in and returned to Berlin.