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Part One Twenty Years Chapter 10 The King of the North Atlantic!  (two)

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    (I found a magical book "Industrial Power Empire", which has a bit of a more common official and business path. I read it continuously from yesterday to today, and I was completely fascinated. Today I almost don't want to write words anymore. Also, I finally felt uncomfortable.  Tie Xue donated money. I couldn¡¯t bear the magic book "National Will" and spent more than forty oceans. Finally, thanks to the reward from the pirate ship, I feel a little ashamed. Our book finally has its first deacon.)

    "In the early morning of June 21, 1917, the two most powerful navies in the first two decades of this century mutually confirmed the fact that the other side's fleets were deployed. At this point, everyone knew that a large-scale maritime war was imminent.

    According to declassified British documents, the British do not want a decisive battle on 21st, although the day before, these senior British generals including Betty and Lampard proudly claimed that victory belongs to 21st.

    Thanks to the pinnacle of maritime tactical deception used by the great Admiral Heidi Sealem in the Battle of Orkney, known as the "Battle of the Kings of the North Atlantic", the Royal Navy once again chose to divide its forces and send out rapid  The ten battlecruisers of the fleet went south to deal with the raiding fleet composed of the German Second Battle Fleet and the Second Reconnaissance Group that had secretly set out to sea earlier.

    Before the British fast fleet went south, the entire British Island insisted that they had gained an overwhelming advantage in intelligence. The Germans knew nothing about their encirclement and suppression plan and subsequent encirclement and reinforcements. However, when William Port's  General Reddell deliberately sent a telegram on the transport ship Jed that the First Reconnaissance Group was about to go to sea. The fast fleet remaining in the Scarborough area on the east coast of Britain and its commander Lampard fell into a terrible situation.

    The British had no doubts about the Germans¡¯ motives in dispatching the First Reconnaissance Group. Before the Battle of the Orkney Islands broke out, almost all British naval officers believed that the Germans were targeting the fast fleet that had lost the protection of the Grand Fleet.  According to Sealem's script, the ten battlecruisers of the fast fleet were unable to resist the first reconnaissance group, and the Germans could end all wars before the main fleet arrived in the battle waters.

    Let¡¯s not mention the British misjudgment of Sealem¡¯s strategic goals, but only on the issue of the fast fleet.  The British wasted too much time. Even if the Germans really wanted to deal with the fast fleet, the nearly fifteen-hour voyage from Helgoland Bay to Scarborough could not afford the British to waste so much time.

    What is more terrible than wasting time is that the British forgot a premise. No matter what choice the fast fleet makes, the twenty-three battleships of the Grand Fleet should immediately go south to support them.

    "Chapter" Before dawn, the British Admiralty led by Lord Balfour had still not made up its mind, and David Beatty, the commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet who could not wait, made a suggestion that seemed fair but was actually extremely stupid: the fast fleet sailed into Tees  At the mouth of the river, be prepared.

    The fast fleet was left on the dangerous east coast until the moment the sea fog shrouded Wilhelmshaven dissipated, and the empty Jade Bay shocked all of Europe.

    Nineteen battleships of the Ocean Fleet disappeared, and the British woke up from a dream.  Realizing that the intelligence advantage they obtained may have been deliberately given by Sealem, the Germans had already polished their butcher's knife at a dark angle in the North Sea!

    Until then, the Royal Navy was still making mistakes.  The British naval elite did not consider at all the Germans' courage to cross the North Sea to directly challenge the Grand Fleet and complete their victory in one battle. They stubbornly believed that the Germans would sacrifice the distance for the near.  Slowly removing one arm of the Grand Fleet to gain the advantage in the final decisive battle, and then concluded that if the fast fleet retreated directly, it would be possible to escape safely back to the Firth of Forth before the Germans reached the eastern coastline of Britain.

    Lampard, commander of the British Fast Fleet, ordered his fleet to move towards the Firth of Forth.  And he named this seven-hour voyage "The Voyage of Despair" in his sailing journal.  But until General Lampard, standing on the bridge of the battlecruiser HMS Reputation, could see the peninsula promontory protruding from the North Sea at the southern end of the Firth of Forth, the officers and soldiers of the Royal Navy's fast fleet still failed to realize what despair was.

    It is worth noting that David Beattie also underestimated his old rival. Before the news of the "German Ocean Fleet's disappearance" came, the 23 battleships and three battlecruisers of the Grand Fleet he led were in this battle.  I remained so calm in the morning that after slipping out of Scapa Flow, the fleet's course was not due south.  Instead all the way to the west.  "

    Excerpted from "Europe's Tragic History of World War I"

    On the morning of June 21, 1917, the Grand Fleet and the Fourth Battle Patrol Division of the Fast Fleet, which had slipped out of Scapa Flow, crossed the waters south of Hoy Island and appeared on the North Atlantic side of the Orkney Islands.

    Under the fog, the Grand Fleet and the Fourth Battle Patrol Division launched a loose cruising formation in the North Atlantic.  Search to the west.

      Leading the fleet by almost half a ship is the Grand Fleet flagship Revenge on the left wing of the cruise formation. Following the Revenge are the other three Revenge-class battleships of the newly formed seventh squadron.

    ""Due to the heavy losses suffered by the Grand Fleet in the Battle of Skagerrak and the Battle of Portsmouth that broke out in 1915, coupled with the large number of new and second-hand capital ships in service in recent years, the Grand Fleet continues to adhere to the original principles of the Grand Fleet.  The establishment system was out of date. Under the auspices of David Beattie, then the Third Sea Lord, the Naval Staff conducted a scientific reorganization of the entire fleet based on the model, performance and combat needs of the Royal Navy's battleships.

    For any mature maritime power, the formation of its main fleet is a complex project. Staff officers must not only consider the balance of speed, distribution of firepower, and logistics maintenance among different ship types, but also consider the opponent.  The scale and firepower of the fleet can be optimized to optimize the formation of the battleships, and can help the commanders to take full advantage of Tian Ji's horse racing style when the battle line is bombarded.

    The five Revenge-class battleships that were put into service around 1917 are the most advanced battleships of the Royal Navy at this stage. Four of them (Revenge, Sovereign, Ramiris, and Resolution) were incorporated into the Seventh Squadron, which is the same as the original Third Fleet.  The four Iron Duke-class battleships (Iron Duke, Marlborough, Benbow, and Emperor of India) formed the Fourth Battle Fleet Squadron with unprecedented firepower. The goal was to use a 15-inch main gun with a new armor-piercing projectile that was not very stable in performance.  (Green bomb) Destroy the front section of the German battle line that may combine two Bavaria-class and four K?nig-class battleships.

    "Compared with the unprecedentedly powerful Fourth Battle Fleet, the rebuilt Second Battle Fleet is slightly less powerful.

    In a series of previous maritime battles, the Second Battle Fleet has always been the most tragic existence: the first British battleship to sink was the Second Battle Fleet. The battleship HMS Bold of the First Squadron sank in northern Scotland in November 1914.  Exploded and sank; the first British battleship to be sunk in a naval battle was the Second Battle Fleet.  The battleship Thor of the Second Squadron was sunk in the Battle of Dogger Bank; the British battleship with the most heavy losses is still the Second Battle Fleet. As the world's first super-dreadnought ship, the four great swordsmen of Orion now only have the Monarch.  The USS battleship is lingering on, while another battleship detachment of four Joe V-class battleships is not much better. The four King George V-class battleships, the world's first to use 15-inch cannons, have so far been destroyed by half.  Joe No. 5 and Centurion are left to continue to exert their remaining heat.

    The operational targets of the Second Battle Fleet are five German Kaiser-class battleships equipped with 305 mm main guns and four Helgoland-class battleships also equipped with 305 mm main guns.  In order to form a certain firepower advantage over the Germans, two King George V-class battleships equipped with 15-inch cannons were dismantled and served as the flagships of the first and second detachments respectively. The Orion-class battleships equipped with 13.5-inch main guns were the last.  Soul of the Great Power Chapter 10 "King of the North Atlantic! (2)" The widow of the battleship Monarch was also strengthened to the first squadron, so that the first squadron has four battleships: Joe V, Orion, Hercules and Goliath.  The Second Division consisted of four battleships: Centurion, St. Vincent, Collingwood and Neptune.

    Since the combat target of the First Battle Fleet is only four German S-class battleships equipped with 280 mm main guns.  The First Battle Fleet has naturally become the weakest main fleet in the Grand Fleet.

    Of course, judging from the books, the firepower of the First Battle Fleet is still quite good.

    The flagship of the First Battle Fleet is the Revenge-class No. 5 ship Royal Oak equipped with a 15-inch main gun. In addition, the First Battle Fleet also has two Canada-class battleships.  This giant ship with a standard displacement of over 28,000 tons is said to be based on the Iron Duke-class battleship and is equipped with a 14-inch main gun with considerable performance.  Bellerophon and the battleships Magnificent of the Fifth Squadron.  The battleships Hong Kong (formerly Brazilian Miras Gerais) and Singapore (formerly Argentinian Rivadavia) of the Sixth Division are both equipped with 12-inch main guns, which are one level stronger than the S¨¡o-class battleships.  grade.

    But this fleet also has many problems.  Except for the "stupid, rich" South Americans, everyone knows that the Canadian class is just a tall guy with a standard displacement of 28,000 tons but only 9 inches of main armor, and the main armor is only about 2 feet above the water.  You can see it when combined (0.9 meters).  The battleships Hong Kong and Singapore are both old ships leased from South America. It is still unclear how much combat effectiveness they will exert in the hands of the Royal Navy.

    Located on the far right wing of this fleet are the three battlecruisers of the Fourth Battlecruiser Division (Indefatigable, Indomitable, and Indomitable).  Although in the traditional sense.  The Tireless-class and Invincible-class are still classified in the battlecruiser formation, but due to the continuous high-intensity use of the Royal Navy, their power systems and hulls have suffered serious damage, making it difficult for these three battlecruisers to become battle cruisers.  The speed it should have.  In desperation,The military headquarters had no choice but to throw these three pseudo-battle cruisers, which had neither speed nor protection, into the battle sequence of the grand fleet.

    It is worth mentioning that the epoch-making meritorious battleship Dreadnought failed to catch up with this naval battle in the end.  The old battleship that suffered an unthinkable disaster in the explosion and sinking of the battleship Vanguard could only stay in the repair dock in Scapa Flow for the rest of its life, watching helplessly as the Grand Fleet left Orkney in a mighty manner, and then hid in the  The queen secretly rejoiced.

    In the desolate North Atlantic, the stormy sea under the mist appears quiet and peaceful. The Grand Fleet shuttles through this quiet ocean in seven cruising formations, carefully looking for possible American allies and always alert to German submarines.

    "The Great Power of the Sea" The United States, the quasi-ally of the British Empire, is not unsatisfied in breaking the deadlock in Europe.

    After the peace attempt collapsed, the Americans magically doubled the size of their army several times in a few months. Although the army lacked commanders with actual combat experience and basic weapons such as rifles, the first batch of American soldiers still arrived in New York Harbor.  Boarded a troop ship bound for Europe.

    The U.S. Navy also abandoned its base and secretly dispatched an additional U.S. battleship fleet consisting of two New York-class battleships and two Nevada-class battleships to the North Sea.

    These four battleships are all newly commissioned battleships.  The New York-class battleship was the first super-dreadnought ship built in the United States according to the 1910 annual shipbuilding plan. The hull was enlarged on the basis of the Wyoming-class battleship. The flat-deck ship type was equipped with four 356 mm 356 mm battleships that were finalized in March 1910.  45x caliber twin main gun.

    Compared with previous U.S. battleships, the armor thickness of key parts such as the sides of the New York-class battleships has been strengthened. However, in order to balance the cost, the New York-class battleships changed from steam turbines to reciprocating two-axis propulsion, making the New York-class battleships' top speed only  Poor verse 21.

    The Nevada-class battleship is a super-dreadnought battleship built by the United States according to the 1911 annual shipbuilding plan.  This battleship uses both triple-mounted and double-mounted 356mm 45-caliber main guns, and has made great achievements in terms of protection. The armor protection of key parts of the hull has been strengthened, and solid armor has been applied to the base of the chimney and other parts.  Armor: In unprotected areas, the Nevada-class battleships also use detailed waterproof compartments.

    In a sense, the Nevada-class battleship equipped with 343mm side waterline main armor, 330mm gun mount main armor, 457mm turret frontal armor and 405mm conning tower protective armor is the first example of the American Iron Turtle style in the history of modern battleships.  Representative, but the speed problem continues to plague this battleship with a perfect balance of firepower and protection, existing as the ankle of Achilles:

    Although the Nevada-class battleships use oil-fired boilers, neither the Nevada-class battleship equipped with a steam turbine nor the Oklahoma battleship equipped with a reciprocating steam engine can reach a speed of more than 21 knots, and the latter is even only 20.5 knots.

    The battle in the North Sea is complicated and confusing. The officers and soldiers of the Grand Fleet are distractedly paying attention to the fast fleet remaining in the North Sea, while also paying attention to the Stars and Stripes flagship fleet that may appear at any time.

    The late arrival of the guests made the large fleet shuttle in the mist turn its head with worry. It was not until the Americans missed the agreed rendezvous time again that the large fleet was delayed by the Americans. "The American navy personnel told them that it would take another two hours.  The successful rendezvous of the British and American navies was successfully achieved.

    "After all, American battleships are not as good as ours"

    In the command tower of the Grand Fleet flagship Revenge, Fleet Operations Staff Officer Miller babbled with such emotion.

    In the British view, all capital ships without speed are the product of failure. Although this view is no longer tenable after the Skagerrak battle, there are still many admirers of the "speed supremacy theory"  exist.

    Compared to the impetuosity of his men, Betty was able to remain calm. However, when the Admiralty forwarded the intelligence report from the Port William intelligence team, the composure on the face of the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet quickly collapsed.

    The Ocean Fleet has disappeared. Damn it, it must have slipped out of Wilhelmshaven in the middle of the night and is now lurking in every area of ??the North Sea, waiting for Britain to make a mistake.

    Taking a straight line to intercept the fast fleet returning north, this is the ultimate goal of old friends.  Without the fast fleet, even if the Americans join, the two sides are still on the same level. It is really an unsolvable strategy!

    "Stop the search! Stop the search!" Betty grabbed the thin telegraph newspaper and seemed to have seen the scene of Sealem standing on the bow of the battleship Bayern, strategizing and swallowing ten battlecruisers of the British fast fleet. The general was somewhat fooled.  Angrily, he yelled at his navigation staff: "I won't wait any longer for you Americans, go south. I need a large fleet to set off south immediately!"

    At 8:21 a.m. on the 21st, the Grand Fleet and the Fourth Battle Patrol Division gave up their plan to rendezvous with the U.S. battleship squadron and began to turn around and head south to rush to the rescue.?Fleet.  At the same time, the Ocean Fleet and the twenty-seven capital ships of the First Reconnaissance Group are still heading north at full speed. Two of the most powerful and powerful steel fleets on the planet, with strength exceeding the sum of other maritime powers, are in Orkney.  It seems inevitable that the battle for kingship in the North Atlantic will be staged near the archipelago, as fierce as Mars hitting the earth!  (To be continued.).
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