Chapter 2113: Thomas in Action
Moreover, after learning the lessons from history, the British decisively grasped the fire protection and added 1-inch to 1.5-inch steel plates to the position of the dome, which increased the total tonnage of the battleship by several hundred tons, and the draft also increased. increase, and the British countermeasures are also very simple, with less ammunition and fuel, just decorate it. . . . (Historically, after the Battle of Jutland, the British did increase the protection of some battleships, which is also the added dome armor, which is equivalent to thickening the thickness of iron pants, which made the German 12-inch naval gun want to penetrate the battleship The defense is very difficult. Even if it can penetrate the upper 9-inch armor, it can no longer penetrate the thickened dome armor at the back. Of course, if it is a water bomb, the British ship can't do it!)
The use of troops by the British Grand Fleet and the German Fleet is similar. The Spey Fleet dispatches less than half of the warships to perform tasks in turn, and the British Fleet is also like this. 1 super dreadnought and 3 dreadnoughts form a squadron, and then every three Rotate once a day.
"If I just face the Germans' pre-dreadnoughts, I'm not too worried. The number of German capital ships in previous operations generally does not exceed 5, which may be 3 battleships and 2 armored cruisers. It may also be Conversely, the strongest firepower they have is 18 12-inch L40 guns and 16 10-inch guns, while we have 10 13.5-inch guns and 30 12-inch L50 guns. As long as we can keep an eye on the opponent, then the battle The result of the battle has already been determined, and I already have a plan in this regard and started preparations. Well, now, let me talk about my concern, how can we enter and exit the battlefield safely!" Lieutenant General Thomas said.
After all, Lieutenant General Thomas had participated in expeditions in the Indian Ocean. He had a very deep understanding of the changes in the condition of warships and the degree of fatigue of personnel after long-term missions. Although the Strait of Dover is an offshore operation, it is a long-term process. For more than ten days or even dozens of days, the British and German fleets have to send fleets to sea every day. Fighting, sometimes there will be some losses, which makes the fleet and personnel very exhausted. Although the German fleet claims to have 7 former dreadnought battleships and 4 armored cruisers, excluding the 1 ship that was ambushed by a British submarine before, there are still 10 capital ships.
Many of these battleships were wounded in previous battles, and there were also some that needed repairs and maintenance due to mechanical problems. Therefore, in terms of normal artillery battles, Thomas was not afraid of the German fleet at all, even if Germany dispatched 6 battleships a day. However, the 36 12-inch guns are not as thick and short as the barrels, and the number is still not as good as that of the British Navy.... So what if two more armored cruisers are added? It would definitely not be able to beat the Thomas fleet!
Therefore, for Thomas, the most critical issue for the British fleet is how to safely enter and exit the Strait of Dover. You must know that in this sea area, there are not only German pre-dreadnoughts, but also submarines and minefields. What's more, Thomas can be sure that if the German fleet learns the news of the dispatch of the British battleship, it will definitely intercept and kill him on the way! At the same time, Thomas is also very clear that the so-called response of the Grand Fleet is only a response not far from the Gulf of Forth, and Jericho told Thomas in private that the British Grand Fleet will try its best to avoid confrontation with the High Seas Fleet, and these 4 A battleship can be discarded when necessary!
"The plan of the air force is as follows. After dawn, we will deploy reconnaissance planes and some fighter jets in this area to conduct air patrols. When we find the returning fleet, we will take off the rest of the planes to accompany the fleet all the way north. , to resist the pursuit of the German land-based air force, and to give early warning to the German fleet." An officer from the Navy's land-based air force said after drawing a circle on the eastern coast of the United Kingdom.
This area is relatively north, and theoretically belongs to the area where the British fleet should arrive before dawn at a speed of 15 knots. As for why patrol planes were arranged to search the British fleet? The reason is very simple. The British fleet did not dare to turn on the radio to tell the navy the location. In fact, the method proposed by the British officer was similar to what Crown Prince Ruprecht expected. Go to the specified area, and then the air force will cover you going north!
"And what about the submarines? And the minefields that the Germans might deploy at random," Thomas asked.
"The destroyers and mine-sweeping ships assigned to the large fleet are in charge. We will use the coastal area as our home port to continuously conduct search operations and mine-sweeping operations on the sea areas on the fleet's route. At the same time, we will also deploy mines in certain areas, or Place the sunken ship and block the submarine's route. If your fleet is more careful, it will not be a big problem." A British naval officer said.
Subsequently, several staff officers of the British Navy began to use marks of different colors on a huge sea chart to indicate several routes that the British fleet could choose. Defense facilities such as minefields.
"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, I have a question. According to the schedule, we should prepare to return at 3:00 am. If the Germans know this rule and then enter the Strait of Dover after 3:00 am, what should we do?" said an Army officer.
"It's very simple. Of course, the last ship to leave France at night can't be later than 3:00 am at the latest. We start sailing from around 9:00 pm to 3:00 am, which is about 6 hours. Of course, if the army If you feel that the time is not enough, you can extend the time appropriately, but the naval fleet can only provide 6 hours of cover." Thomas said. He was also very sympathetic to what happened to the British Expeditionary Force at that time, but sympathy belonged to sympathy, and some things in principle could not be changed by him.
"In 6 hours, we may not even be able to withdraw 10,000 people! The Germans' ultra-long-range heavy artillery can already hit the port of Dunkirk, and we can only transport it in some inconspicuous places by assault boats or motorboats." It's already very slow to board the big ship, and you and your fleet can only cover for 6 hours!" The army officer said angrily.
"So I arranged this battle plan. We can severely damage the German fleet, and then fundamentally weaken the German navy's blockade of the strait!" In this regard, Thomas said that simple cover is not a cure for the symptoms, only efforts to annihilate Germany Fleet, Britain's sea evacuation plan will be safe! Anyway, the German High Seas Fleet will not easily enter the strait. As long as it can severely damage the German former dreadnought detachment, then the pressure on the British sea retreat will be very small!
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