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

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    (Recently I am recovering from illness, so updates should be slow. Also, I suddenly found that the naval battle has been written badly by me. I am thinking about what angles I have not touched on the dreadnought bombardment, and what skills I can use.)

    From HMS Warrior, the first ironclad, to HMS Sovereign, the pioneer of pre-dreadnought battleships, from HMS Sovereign to the epoch-making battleship HMS Dreadnought, from the last thirty years of the 19th century to the first two decades of the 20th century, the world's navies have experienced  The daily changes are also full of bizarre changes.

    People always simply define this profound change as the emergence of steel monsters equipped with full-heavy artillery, steam turbines and carburized armor, with a displacement of more than 20,000 tons. However, few people realize that this change is not only  Reflected in weapons and equipment.

    Dreadnoughts have had a profound impact on the maritime strategy, combat thinking and training methods of any country in the world that is interested in the ocean.  This impact was not significant at the time. It was not until the European War broke out in 1914 that the veteran maritime power Britain and the upstart maritime power Germany staged hearty duels one after another in the North Sea, and the truth became clear.

    As the most powerful and imaginative steel weapon in human history, the Dreadnought once firmly controlled and dominated 70% of the space on the earth's surface, so much so that in the 1960s, it was still the first choice for U.S. Navy officers to serve.  A battleship that has been considered unable to keep up with the times.

    However, the true glory time of the dreadnought is extremely limited.  The "History of World Naval Warfare" compiled by Chinese naval history experts writes:

    "In the North Sea in 1915, the British and German navies gathered all their capital ships and fought from the Helgoland Bay to the Skagerrak. The battle lasted from the evening of the previous day to the morning of the next day. This battle was named Rider by Germany.  The Battle of the Land, known as the Battle of Skagerrak by the British, was the greatest battle of all time. It was the pinnacle and most beautiful moment of the Dreadnought. It also became the final swan song of the Dreadnought.

    ??In 1917, in that corner of the northern North Sea, Britain and Germany concentrated all their strong power resources and launched the Battle of the Orkney Islands.  This time, the dreadnought is still very popular, but unfortunately it can only exist as the end of the dreadnought era.  "

    Of course, historians are divided on the value of the Battle of Orkney.  In fact, in the Battle of the Orkney Islands, the number of troops invested by both sides, the number of battleships, and the total tonnage of the battleships were far greater than those of the Battle of Ridland, and its impact on the European war was no less than the latter.  However, most Chinese experts on the history of world naval warfare tend to define the Battle of Orkney as the end of the dreadnought era.

    Go229, an expert on Chinese naval history, put forward a very pertinent view on this controversy:

    "The reason why the Battle of the Orkney Islands is underestimated is simply because of its brutality. The Battle of the Orkney Islands is different from any Sealyme-style naval victory in the traditional sense. It is a land-power country fighting to obtain the sea soul of a great power.  A certificate of dedication. The Chinese have a strong sense of tragic aesthetics, so we look forward to the Battle of Ridland, which is always a little sad and full of saxophone, sublimating it into a gorgeous mourning after the climax. At the same time,  The Chinese also have an everlasting idea of ??a happy reunion. Therefore, the Orkney Islands naval battle, in which the bayonets were red in hand-to-hand combat, could only settle for the second best and become an ending not worthy of concern"

    Regarding the controversy, go229 did not give a tendentious evaluation.  But saddened by the fact that Orkney is undervalued.  So in Kunming, on the southern border of China.  In a melancholy style, go229 wrote "King of the North Atlantic", the best domestic study on the naval battle in the Orkney Islands.

    (Gorgeous dividing line)

    "On June 21, 1917, the weather in the North Sea was extremely bad. This morning, from Scapa Flow in the UK to Helgoland Bay in Germany, the North Sea was shrouded in white fog as always. It was hard to wait until the sun dispersed the sea fog.  At that moment, the sea conditions in the North Sea became bad again.

    This bad weather has its pros and cons.

    For the British, the early morning sea fog helped the Grand Fleet successfully slip out of Scapa Flow, allowing the American battleship squadron to approach the North Sea quietly, but at the same time.  It also prevented the news of the secret voyage of the Ocean Fleet from being leaked in advance. The high sea conditions also put the three brave-class large light cruisers that temporarily acted as the eyes and ears of the Grand Fleet into an embarrassing situation.

    Looking at the low-freeboard bows of the three flat-deck ships with extremely poor seaworthiness, the Brave-class large light cruiser, were almost buried in the splashing white waves, David Betty's face became increasingly gloomy.

    Betty has learned that his old rival Heidi Sealem and Sealem's Ocean Fleet disappeared from Britain's sight at night. If Betty can still hold on to the false news that the first reconnaissance group went to sea in the early morning  A certain degree of indifference and insistence on completing the established plan to respond to the US battleship squadron, then the disappearance of the Ocean Fleet's main fleet is enough to make Betty give up?His disguise became hysterical.

    Based on Betty¡¯s understanding of old friends and rivals, the Ocean Fleet definitely has an ulterior motive for going to sea this time. The most likely possibility is to intercept and kill the fast fleet that is desperately retreating north.  For the British Empire, the destruction of the ten battlecruisers of the fast fleet was not just a pain in the flesh. It might even be the beginning of the complete decline of British maritime hegemony, because the powerful Japanese Empire no longer had the ability to do so.  Let¡¯s build any fleet. The large fleet in Betty¡¯s hands is not only Britain¡¯s present, but also the entire future!

    Betty knew that Sealem¡¯s fleet was hidden in a corner of the North Sea, waiting for the fast fleet to come to the door. For this reason, Betty had to give up the plan to join the Americans and chose to go south to support the fast fleet.

    Although countermeasures have been taken, and considering the range, the fast fleet has a high chance of escaping before the Germans are in place, David Betty's heart is still full of panic.

    The Royal Navy in 1917 really lacked reconnaissance power, and the key to this battle was to find the whereabouts of the Germans.

    In a series of maritime battles before 1916, the Royal Navy lost a large number of light ships. After 1916, the Royal Navy focused its shipbuilding on the main battleships, neglecting the supplement of light ships, plus anti-submarine and escort services.  , the Royal Navy is short of light ships that can be used for North Sea reconnaissance and Grand Fleet reconnaissance.

    For the main fleet.  Three brave-class large light cruisers and two light cruiser squadrons with certain deterrent capabilities are already its entire rapid reconnaissance force. However, because the three brave-class ships cannot withstand the harsh sea conditions in the North Sea, they can only stay in the main fleet and die.  , the twenty-three capital ships and three battlecruisers of the British Empire could only rely on two cruiser squadrons to provide battlefield reconnaissance.

    Originally, the Grand Fleet could still count on the effective method of aerial reconnaissance, but the early morning sea fog in the North Sea and the harsh sea conditions in the North Sea always prevented the Grand Fleet from releasing its seaplanes.  It was not until 8:30 a.m. that the Royal Navy's air fleet deployed on the east coast and Scapa Flow launched the first batch of reconnaissance aircraft, along the Forth  Search the waters between Bay and Scarborough and 40 nautical miles south of the Orkney Islands.  As for the Grand Fleet, the timing of the launch of the seaplanes remains unknown.

    ¡®At 10:21 a.m., the land-based air force still could not find any trace of the Germans. Where was Sealem?  !  ¡¯

    The air in the command tower of the flagship Revenge seemed to solidify.  The anxious David Betty clenched his fists and slammed them against the strong armor of the command tower, making a low roar.

    The bad weather in the North Sea also has a huge impact on the Germans.

    The early morning sea fog delayed the leakage of intelligence about the Germans' secret sea voyage, but the damn sea fog and high sea conditions also hindered their intelligence reconnaissance of the North Sea, which was crucial for the Ocean Fleet that aimed to sneak attack the Grand Fleet itself.  It's important.

    Although the northern part of the North Sea is not open.  But finding another fleet in the vast sea is still not an easy task.  At this moment, Heidi Sealem's anxiety is no less anxious than David Beatty's.  The German Navy God of War, who was staying in the command tower of the battleship Bayern, walked around in the not spacious command tower with his hands behind his back as if no one else was around.  Cursing loudly the weather in the North Sea.  He was worried whether his fleet would pass by the main fleet of the Grand Fleet, which was supposed to move south.

    After a night of sailing, a total of twenty-seven capital ships of the Ocean Fleet and the First Reconnaissance Group have penetrated deep into the North Sea. Beyond that is the apex of the North Sea, the British territory.  Here, the Ocean Fleet does not receive any support from the mainland. Once the entire plan is exposed, it will face the outflanking British Grand Fleet and the fast fleet.  Not only could the strategic goal of destroying the Grand Fleet before the Americans join the war fail to be achieved, the Ocean Fleet and himself might not even be able to see the next dawn.

    ¡®Sealyme, Hannashaw reports that the sea conditions in the North Sea are barely good enough for seaplanes to take off!  ¡¯ Just when Silem lowered his head and prayed secretly, the one-armed chief of staff of the Ocean Fleet broke in.  said in surprise.

    'What are you waiting for!  Let the bastards fly!  ¡¯ Xi Lime, who was well versed in Chinese culture, had his frown instantly smoothed away, and his answer was full of arrogance.

    At 10:37 a.m., the wind and waves in the North Sea calmed down a little. Except for the Second Reconnaissance Fleet and the Third Reconnaissance Fleet, which have not yet been renamed, they continue to serve as the vanguard fleet of the Ocean Fleet in front of the cruise formation to detect the enemy's "Great Power Sea Spirit" situation in the North Sea.  , two Zeppelin-class seaplane carriers converted from old freighters and the battleships of the Ocean Fleet were finally able to use cranes to lower the Friedrich 33d seaplane that was improved for the harsh sea conditions in the North Sea.

    In fact, the Zeppelin-class seaplane carrier has an aircraft deck and carrier-based aircraft, but in this sea condition, the deck slide is used.The take-off method is an unmitigated disaster for every ship-based pilot, so the Ocean Fleet has to use seaplanes that are unsatisfactory in terms of range and combat effectiveness.

    More than thirty Friedrich 33d seaplanes took off one after another. Among them, naturally, there was the Purple Baron Hannashaw of the Naval Air Force who could not bear loneliness and was as famous as the Red Baron of the German Army Air Force.

    For a long period of time, the love between the Purple Baron Hannashaw and the countess of the Lucknall family was vigorous and thrilling. All the people in Germany bared their teeth and were frightened when they heard about it.  The piano and the harp are strangely harmonious.

    Hannashaw, the commander of the Naval Air Force who was enjoying himself, squeezed away the pilots of a seaplane with all his energy, sat shamelessly in the cabin, and waved away his subordinates who were about to cry because of their grievances.  Then he arranged his standard flying equipment with purple ribbons flying up and down.

    The propellers of the Frederick seaplane began to rotate at high speed, and the surging water under the wings began to tremble violently. Hannashaw raised his hand to kiss his wedding ring, and then put down his goggles.

    The seaplane slid forward awkwardly for a while, then rose crookedly into the sky.

    ¡®Two aircraft formation, target 340, let¡¯s go!  ¡¯

    The huge fleet of aircraft organized into a formation over the rearguard fleet, and dispersed in a two-plane formation according to the pre-war plan.

    Hannashaw's two-plane formation soon flew over the German main fleet that stretched for several kilometers on the sea. When Hannashaw flew the plane at low altitude and passed the towering tripod mast of the flagship Bavaria, the Purple Baron was laughing and imagining.  The officers and soldiers in the flagship watchtower cursed angrily while trying to turn back and look at the majestic shadows of the ocean fleet's steel giants, which often weighed tens of thousands of tons, hundreds of feet below.

    The huge waves of the desolate North Sea are surging into the sky. The nineteen battleships of the Ocean Fleet are dragging long lines of soot, splitting the non-stop waves, shaking and expanding the huge white waves, and heading towards the sea in a four-row cruising formation.  Head northwest at high speed.

    The seventh detachment of the Third Battle Fleet, located on the far right side of the cruise formation, the flagship Bavaria leads the entire fleet by half a ship, followed by four K?nig-class battleships lined up in a row, equipped with 350 mm cannons.  On the right are the five Kaiser-class battleships of the Fifth Squadron and one Bavaria-class battleship and four Helgoland-class battleships of the Second Squadron of the First Battle Fleet, while on the far left are the four Nasas of the First Squadron.  -class battleship.

    The eight battleships of the First Reconnaissance Group are arranged in three cruise formations according to different ship types, that is, three Mackensen-class battle cruisers, three Derfflinger-class battle cruisers and the slightly doomed Seydlitz  '332' formation with the Moltke battle cruiser.  It maintained a distance of about ten nautical miles from the main force of the Ocean Fleet, with the former to the northwest of the latter.

    In order to offset the numerical advantage of the British Grand Fleet and avoid the unfortunate fate of the four Nasa-class battleships of the weak First Squadron being besieged by the British in the Battle of Ridland, Sealem carefully designed a scam of the century to induce  The British divided their forces and moved the ten capital ships of their fast fleet in the direction of Scarborough, away from the established battlefield. They also took advantage of the rough-skinned and thick-skinned characteristics of the German battlecruisers. The battlecruisers were not specifically designed for battle lines.  Main battle weapons designed for line-to-line bombardment join the battle lines of the dreadnoughts.

    Of course, Sealem will not give up the advantage of battlecruisers as high-speed battleships in reconnaissance, so the first reconnaissance group moves out of the Ocean Fleet to continue the old mission of reconnaissance. Once traces of the British are found, they will slow down and join the main force.  meet.

    Looking at the moving Great Steel Wall under his feet, Hanna Xiao saluted the Ocean Fleet with a solemn military salute with excitement, and then turned his attention to finding the British Grand Fleet.

    At 11:04 a.m., Hannashaw¡¯s two-plane formation flew over the Second Reconnaissance Fleet of the Vanguard Fleet.

    At 11:18 a.m., Hannashaw, who had left the Second Scout Fleet behind, used his telescope to accidentally discover a series of black shadows moving southward due to the north.

    ¡®Could it be British?  ¡¯

    Hannah Shaw hesitated slightly.  "(To be continued.).
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