Late at night on June 21, the Ocean Fleet located deep in the North Sea rushed on its way under the bright moonlight and cool sea breeze of the North Sea.
Wang Heidi was lying on the hard iron bed in the commander's lounge of the battleship Bayern, scattered with many bottles of medicine for treating depression, with a rum bottle on her head, and a party bag in Orkney covering her body. The Shetland Islands on the north side of the archipelago are marked with death on the North Sea chart, sleeping soundly.
In the sweet dream of the admiral, there is no longer the towering mainmast of the battleship, no more commotion at Charlottenburg Palace, no more crying on the eve of the wedding in Kiel's lower district, and no more gunshots and farewells in Dick's villa. , is just an overpass full of modern atmosphere. A young man with a lawsuit on his forehead bumped into his girlfriend with a youthful smile on her face, and hugged each other tightly.
At the northernmost point of the North Sea, several scarred battlecruisers of the fast fleet abandoned the Warrior battle cruiser and slowly sailed into the extremely open and lonely Scapa Flow. Vice Admiral Lampard sat blankly on the bridge. , the arm holding the manuscript of "The Gold of Skagerrak" kept shaking.
¡®We lost after all¡¡¯
There are only a few battleships parked in the depths of Forth Bay, and the only remaining battleships in the main fleet are the battleship St. Vincent, which has left the battlefield, and the battle cruiser Indomitable, which has washed aground on the beach and has not yet returned. The down-and-out David Beatty grabbed the bottle of wine and sat drunkenly on the rugged rock on the promontory, which was about to become the Hope Stone in the Scottish Highlands. He looked at the hazy shadow of the battleship Ramillies in the dark night, which was no different from the Revenge except for its nameplate. Let out a familiar yet unfamiliar sigh.
¡®Oh, damn Campedan! ¡¯
In 1893, the Camperdown in which Betty was serving collided with the Victoria, the flagship of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet. The Victoria sank on the spot and the Camperdown was severely damaged. Late at night, Betty had never been like this. I hope I die in Camperdown.
On the other side of the North Atlantic, the bellicose Roosevelt stood in the telegraph room with red eyes. He stubbornly refused to admit that all four battleships of the U.S. battleship squadron had been destroyed. He just ordered the telegraph operator to call Rear Admiral Rodman over and over in vain. , until the last trace of faith dissipated in the blood-red sunset in Washington.
After the tragic decisive battle, both the exhausted victors and the defeated party who couldn't sleep all night were recuperating. However, the temporary cessation of naval personnel does not mean that the vast North Atlantic will become silent.
¡°The military is an extension of politics. After soldiers sacrifice their lives, it¡¯s time for politicians to appear on stage like clowns.
"Sinking two German battleships, the American Navy was honored even though it was defeated! ¡·
It was a deep night in Beihai. While the dozens of battleships gathered there perished in the ocean or dispersed, it was dusk in the United States on the other side. The American warmongers who masterminded the undeclared war aggressively sent four battleships across the ocean to secretly participate in the war, hoping to use a good start to boost the low morale of the American people, but they did not want to suffer a disastrous defeat on the first day of the war.
The deaths and disappearances of more than 4,000 officers and men of the U.S. battleship squadron caught the Americans somewhat unprepared and in a difficult position. Americans may not care about the four new battleships that have been in service for less than three years. After all, the shipyards on both sides of the country are crowded with new battleships under construction. If necessary, they can continue to make dumplings if they have deep pockets. It's just that the number of casualties is somewhat difficult to accept. Only God knows how difficult it is to recruit soldiers in the United States.
Americans have always believed that World War I was an internal conflict among Europeans. America does not need to be involved in the turmoil. The consortium-controlled Congress forcibly passed the declaration of war against the Allied Powers, which has caused complaints among the American people. Once the news of the defeat of the fleet participating in the war leaked, it would be the best outcome for the government departments to receive countless pairs of shoes.
Under the operation of the U.S. government and Congress, American newspapers deliberately downplayed the fact that the entire fleet participating in the battle was annihilated. They unilaterally intercepted telegrams from the USS Nevada and compared the "American spirit" displayed by the U.S. Navy officers and soldiers in this naval battle and the U.S. battleship squadron to one another. The excellent record of sinking two German Nassau-class battleships at the cost of sinking a New York-class battleship became the focus of publicity.
The Americans are busy channeling public opinion. The British were jumping up and down angrily and scolding the Americans as complete laymen of the war. The Empire on which the sun never sets is still thinking about how to cover the lid and preserve the little fighting will of the British Isles. However, the Americans have vividly molded their annihilated participating fleet into a model of glory despite defeat. Since then, the Americans have come to pick up the slack. All suffered embarrassment, and the Royal Navy's failure can be imagined.
"After the Battle of Orkney. There is no more navy in Britain! ¡·
London's mainstream newspapers invariably used this appalling headline in the early morning of June 22. The sleepy John Bulls sat at the dining table and angrily threw away the newspapers in their hands, feeling that their dignity as British people was being affected. Insulted and violated. British EmpireThe first reaction of the people of ?? was to find the nearest M-shaped flagship fleet, and use a stream of naval cannons to blast away the unscrupulous London tabloids. It took a long time to wake up. They no longer had a fearless fleet that could intimidate the London tabloids. .
The British could not accept life without a navy. After the Battle of Orkney Islands, the British, who suffered a complete defeat, were really panicked. Many people gathered in front of the naval department and demanded an explanation from Balfour. More British people were thinking about what this war had brought to Britain.
Did they sanction the Germans? No, the Germans can already arrogantly arrive at Britain's doorstep and block the shipping lanes of the Empire on which the sun never sets!
Did it expand the colony? No, most of the Allied interests in the Far East are captured by Japan, fierce fighting is going on in Africa, and in the North Atlantic, the British are losing the island of Ireland!
Was it plundering wealth? No, supporting France, the land war, rebuilding the Grand Fleet and suppressing the Irish rebellion had drained the British Empire of centuries of accumulated wealth, while the Germans were negotiating with Russia to bring millions of square kilometers into their sphere of influence.
"Five hours after the declaration of war, the entire fleet participating in the battle was destroyed. Is this the choice of you Americans? ! ¡·
"Cynical ridicule of Americans who are greedy for petty gains is a topic that Berlin likes to talk about after the Orkney Islands Battle.
At noon yesterday, the news that the United States declared war on Germany spread like crazy throughout Germany. Although the Germans comforted themselves that the U.S. Army was not worth mentioning and that they could not even pass through the North Atlantic guarded by General Heidi Seelem, in fact , the Germans, who were exhausted by the three-year war, were still a little panicked. Unexpectedly, in just one afternoon, the situation completely changed. The Ocean Fleet that secretly went to sea not only lived up to its mission, but also brought an old punch to the American war fleet that shamelessly came to the door, directly sinking three ships and capturing one. Complete victory.
The navy did such a great job that the German newspapers that learned the news printed extra copies overnight and immediately spread the word of this comforting news to countless people who were tortured to death by high-intensity work, unemployment, hunger, and disability. The Germans cried with joy.
In the upsurge of promoting the victory of the Navy, there are also some newspapers ingeniously aimed at Heidislaim.
"Who else can stop Heidi Silem, God of War? ¡·
The topic of Heidi Sealem has been so talked about by the Germans that in the reprinted German dictionary, Sealem has become synonymous with the naval god of war. Sealem¡¯s wife Anne is equivalent to the fierce wife. In 1902, in the tavern Tears have become a common refrain in Europe and often appear in novels praising love. However, on June 22, Heidi Seelem's prestige in Germany reached its peak, so reports of new wine in bottles can still attract a lot of attention.
Berliners brazenly showed off Heidi Seelem¡¯s achievements. From the Battle of Helgoland to the recent Battle of the Orkney Islands, this naval god of war, who had a bumpy career and suffered from mild depression for a long time, commanded almost all the navies of the Allied Powers and defeated the world including Britain, France, and the United States. As a major naval power, under the premise that Russia surrendered and the navy was divided between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Heidi Silem was left with the last opponent on this bright sea of ??stars, the disgusting second-rate naval power in the Far East.
Amidst the commotion, a train that was closely monitored by the Imperial Army was speeding toward Wilhelmshaven. Ludendorff, the Army's number two man who actually controlled Berlin, was sitting in one of the high-end carriages, staring at the thick stack of Heidisi's praises on the desk. Lem's newspaper frowned.
At noon, the train Ludendorff was riding entered the Wilhelmshaven railway station. As soon as he got off the train, he was hit by the fiery atmosphere coming from the Wilhelmshaven pier.
On this day, the streets of Wilhelmshaven were deserted. The white-haired veterans took out their old military uniforms and stood stiffly on the pier. Children held models of wooden warships and chased any soldiers wearing navy uniforms singing naval military songs. , young people gathered together in twos and threes to discuss the possibility of joining the Imperial Navy, while the girls stood on tiptoe, anxiously waiting for their lovers to return. Even though the sailors and a small number of Marines from William Base had set up a cordon at the pier, they still could not stop the enthusiasm of the residents of Port Wilhelm.
"It seems that this is a wrong choice" A cry of long live suddenly erupted from the other side of the pier. Ludendorff looked at the majestic hull of the Ocean Fleet battleship entering the port, with a trace of anger flashing in his eyes. He said calmly: "Silem is destined to be an opponent rather than an ally." (To be continued.)