novelAbuy Chapter 489 Shared Ideas
Chapter 489 Shared Ideas
"But what about quality?" Tovey asked bluntly. "General, if I may be so bold, German warship design has always prioritized protection and survivability. The Battle of Jutland has already proven that our battlecruisers have deficiencies in protection. And the 'Hood' and 'Queen'... while powerful, are ultimately Eastern designs, which we haven't fully mastered yet."
Wellesley didn't argue. He knew Tovey was right. At the Battle of Jutland, Britain lost three battlecruisers, all due to inadequate ammunition magazine protection that caused them to explode. The lesson was too profound.
"So we need tactics." Wellesley returned to his seat. "We need to offset our qualitative disadvantage with numerical superiority, we need to choose battlefields that are favorable to us, we need..." He paused, "and we need a bit of luck."
Goodnow gave a wry smile: "Ever since Admiral Jellicoe took over as commander of the Grand Fleet, we have avoided a decisive battle with the main German fleet. His strategy is to maintain a presence as a deterrent, rather than risk engaging in battle."
"The strategy has changed," Wellesley said calmly. "The army's defeat at the Somme has brought the pressure on London to its peak. The War Cabinet has given clear instructions: the navy must take a more proactive stance and must seek opportunities."
Tovey and Goodnow exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in each other's eyes.
Seeking an opportunity to strike means taking risks. And taking risks in naval warfare can mean losing tens of thousands of tons of warships and thousands of lives in minutes.
"What are the specific orders?" Tovi asked.
Wellesley pulled an encrypted telegram from the folder: "Grand Fleet Command has approved 'Operation North Sea Deterrence.' The plan is as follows: Within a week, a rapid formation, centered on HMS Hood and HMS Queen Elizabeth, and supported by two light cruisers and eight destroyers, will be deployed to the waters off Norway to carry out a patrol and deterrence mission."
"A decoy?" Goodnow immediately understood.
"Yes," Wellesley nodded. "If the Germans get restless, if their new warships want to test their mettle... that's our chance. The main force of the Grand Fleet will be waiting a hundred nautical miles behind, ready to rush to their aid once contact is made."
Tovey frowned. "The risk is very high. The weather off the coast of Norway is unpredictable. If the Germans come out in full force..."
"Then let's fight to the death." Wellesley's voice was resolute. "Gentlemen, I know it's risky. But at this stage of the war, caution won't bring victory. We need a 'Somme Counterattack' at sea—only this time, we're going to win."
Outside the window, the rain intensified. The warships in the anchorage swayed slightly in the wind and rain, their signal lights flickering erratically in the dim light.
After a long silence, Tovey finally stood up and said, "The Hood is ready to set sail at any time."
Goodnow also stood up: "The Queen is one too."
"Very good." Wellesley nodded. "Notify all departments to prepare for departure. Operational details will be announced at tomorrow morning's operations meeting. Now... go and rest, there might not be time to rest later."
After the two captains left, Wellesley stood alone before the nautical chart. His finger traced a line from Scapa Flow, across the North Sea, and around the Norwegian coastline.
That will be the stage for the next showdown between steel behemoths.
If the Germans dare to come.
Port William, the same night
The night in Port William was more somber than in Scarpa Bay.
Strict blackout measures were in place in the port area, with only a few scattered red navigation lights flashing in the darkness, like the breathing of a sleeping giant. But deep within the port, in the secure docks, everything was brightly lit.
Field Marshal Alfred von Tirpitz stood on the observation deck of the dock, gazing down at the two colossal ships making their final preparations. Even having seen countless warships, he was still awestruck by the sight before him.
The Bismarck and the Tirpitz.
Two Bismarck-class battleships were moored side by side, the dock lights reflecting a cold, hard steel sheen off their streamlined hulls. Displacing 45,000 tons, 251 meters long, and 36 meters wide—these dimensions even exceeded the capacity of most docks in the port area, requiring final assembly to be carried out in the deepest, most secret dock.
The most striking feature is the main guns. Four twin 380mm main gun turrets, two in the front and two in the rear, are arranged in a superfiring configuration. The gun barrels gleam with a deep blue metallic sheen under the lights, and their large caliber leaves no doubt about their destructive power.
"Marshal, you've been standing here for half an hour." A voice came from behind.
Tirpitz turned around and saw Admiral Reinhard Scheer, Commander-in-Chief of the High Seas Fleet, walking towards him. Scheer was wearing a navy overcoat, his face etched with wrinkles from the sea wind, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
"Every time I see them, I feel like it's unreal," Tirpitz said. "Ten years ago, we thought the Dreadnought was the ultimate weapon. Now... these two warships are at least five years ahead of their time in terms of technology."
"Thank you, Lanfang." Sher walked to the railing and looked down at the giant ship. "Although it was expensive, it was worth it."
Tirpitz nodded, but his expression was serious: "Sher, are you really sure? This plan... is too risky."
Scheer did not answer directly. He took a document from his coat pocket and handed it to Tirpitz: "This is today's report from the General Staff on the Western Front. In the Battle of the Somme, our new tanks achieved an overwhelming victory. But General Falkingham warned: the victory is temporary. The British are mobilizing resources from around the world, and although the United States has not yet entered the war, its inclination is becoming increasingly clear. Time... is not on our side."
Tirpitz quickly scanned the battle report, his expression grave.
"So we need a decisive victory," Scheer continued. "Not on land—land warfare has proven that neither side can completely defeat the other. But at sea... if we can severely damage or even annihilate the British Grand Fleet, we can break the naval blockade, threaten the British mainland, and force them back to the negotiating table."
"Use these two ships as bait?" Tirpitz looked down at the Bismarck and Tirpitz.
"Not bait, but a blade." Scheer's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Marshal Tirpitz, you studied the design data provided by Lanfang. You know the performance of these two ships better than I do: a top speed of 30 knots, faster than any British battleship; main guns with a range of over 35 kilometers, capable of firing beyond the enemy's range; protection... 320 mm sloped armor belts, with an equivalent thickness of over 400 mm of vertical armor. They are not warships, but mobile fortresses."
"But they only have two," Tirpitz cautioned. "The British Grand Fleet has thirty capital ships."
"So we don't need them to fight head-on." Scheer pointed to the nautical chart. "The plan is this: send the Bismarck and Tirpitz as a task force to the waters off Norway and deliberately expose their presence. The British will definitely send a fleet to intercept them—most likely their new battlecruisers, those two Hood-class ships they bought from Lanfang."
He paused, his tone turning icy: "When the British fast formation gets on our task force, the main force of the High Seas Fleet—all sixteen battleships and battlecruisers—will flank us from another direction. We don't want to repel them, we want to encircle and annihilate them. We'll devour the British fast formation, and then decide whether to engage the main force of the Grand Fleet based on the situation."