Chapter 1,162 Preparations Before Stealing Fire

Chapter 1162 Preparations before Stealing Fire

In Greek mythology, before Prometheus stole fire, he had to find a piece of resin and then throw the lit fire to the ground when the sun chariot passed through the sky. In order to execute this unstable plan, the prince naturally needed to make a lot of preparations.

Yes, the probability of success of this plan is relatively low compared to the previous Thunder-Serbrus operation. This is not to say how dangerous it is, but because in order to carry out this mission, the time and the position of the enemy fleet must be estimated very accurately. In the latest sortie, the Prince's fleet took out the Australia just by accident! In fact, the prince was looking for opportunities to damage the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships. In the prince's plan, the number of seven queens in the Thomas fleet was still a bit too much!

This task has been completed very well. Now the Thomas fleet only has 5 Queen Elizabeth-class battleships and 2 battlecruisers. This combat effectiveness has been reduced to less than half of the total combat effectiveness of the fast battleships of the German High Seas Fleet! This value is very critical! Well, good, very good!

In addition, the British fleet's navigation characteristics and preventive measures have once again been confirmed! The prince could now determine that the British's fuel supply situation was very poor and that their return route was the most direct and shortest route. At the same time, the speed will not be fast! This is also very important. It determines that the Thomas Fleet's strategic maneuverability has dropped to about the same level as the Grand Fleet. When no intelligence is obtained, their trajectory can be easily determined, and it gives the German fleet the opportunity to outflank it. Opportunity, well, that’s pretty good too!

The only thing that made Prince Ruprecht feel a little unhappy was the actions of the British naval aviation and auxiliary warships. British aviation was indeed the best in the world. They gave full play to their advantages and were far away from the port. It has already begun to provide protection and reconnaissance for the fleet. This put an end to any plans to start offshore the Firth of Forth. And if you want to attack the Thomas fleet, you must stay away from the Firth of Forth, and this puts a lot of time pressure on the prince. And it is precisely because of this that there are many variables in the prince's plan!

But no matter what, even if the probability of success is not very high, the prince must do his best to prepare! At this time, Tirpitz, as the Minister of State for the Navy, personally came to the Germania Shipyard in Kiel Port. On the slipway here, two huge warships were making final preparations before returning to battle order!

Parked on berth No. 3 on the left is the Moltke battleship that escaped the disaster. After a month of repairs, the battleship has been fully re-equipped and ready for battle. On the No. 4 slipway, a battleship similar to the Helgeland-class battleship, but with some differences, has also entered the final stage. This is the first fast battleship Rheinland in the German High Seas Fleet!

This battleship was born from the German Navy's first batch of dreadnought ship construction plans. It was originally equipped with 12 12-inch guns, distributed on 4 triple turrets. When designing this battleship,

The prince proposed the idea of ​​replacing the guns with larger calibers if necessary. This plan was originally intended to be implemented on the Rhineland, Blücher and von der Tann. But it was a pity that the Blücher was sunk. Von der Tann did not change the gun because he was going to attack. In the end, the first battleship to implement the gun change was the Rhineland!

The performance of this German Navy's earliest fast battleship is not bad. Although the current speed is only 25 knots, it has basically reached the bottom line of the fast fleet. After replacing the boiler water pipes and cleaning the boiler, the speed has also increased slightly. . As a battleship with the name of a battleship, the Rhineland's defense is pretty good, almost close to the level of a Helgeland-class battleship.

"Dear Admiral, the repair work on the Moltke has come to an end. After the new paint dries, they will be a brand new battleship ready to go into battle. And the turret replacement work on the fast battleship Rheinland has been completed. Completed, the artillery and the gun ring are very compatible, and most of the power equipment is universal. In theory, it will have combat effectiveness after launching, but in fact, we still need about two weeks of sea trials." The person in charge of the shipyard respectfully said.

"Very good. With such a battleship, our main fleet will increase to 17 ships again." Tirpitz nodded with satisfaction. "So if the Vondertann also needs to undergo replacement turret operations, how long will it take?"

"This will probably take at least a month and a half. In fact, the replacement operation is very easy, but the production and transportation of the turret is more troublesome." said the person in charge of the shipyard.

"That's a pity." Tirpitz shook his head. Then he met with the mid-level and senior officers of the two battleships, and said that the opportunity for them to return to the battlefield to avenge their shame would come soon, so they would immediately cancel all vacations and enter a state of combat readiness.

At the same time, the fast battleship Saxony, which was accidentally shot in the knee during the exercise, has also had its propellers and steering gear reinstalled. It is currently undergoing sea trials offshore Germany. It is expected that the three battleships will rejoin the German High Seas Fleet in no more than 2 weeks.

"In addition to these fast battleships, all slow-speed dreadnought battleships will also arrive in Wilhelmshaven to await your dispatch. In up to 2 weeks, all dreadnought-level and above-level battleships of the High Seas Fleet can attack at any time. All seaplane carriers can also attack Attack. More than 80% of the light cruisers and more than 70% of the destroyers can accompany the fleet in the attack." Vice Admiral Scheer reported.

"That's good. Prepare me a copy of the recent activities of the British main fleet. Also, mobilize all the submarines that are well prepared in the port and cancel all operations unrelated to this mission. I need their strength. ." The prince thought for a while and said.

"As you wish, Your Highness." Lieutenant General Scheer bowed and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute, Scheer. This time I plan to split up the High Seas Fleet after the operation officially begins. You will command the three Bavaria-class battleships of the First Battleship Division, and the two Bavaria-class battleships of the Third Battleship Division. The other four I am going to hand over the Bavarian-class battleship to Hipper," the prince said.

"Have you decided yet?" Sher frowned and said. "The risk may be a bit high in this case."

"No, the risk is not big at all. When our action is officially launched, we may only gain less without any risk." The prince said with certainty.

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