Chapter 2121 The Fight of the Weak Four
In the end, the seven destroyers of the Seventh Destroyer Squadron were wiped out during the battle for more than half an hour, and the survival rate of the personnel did not exceed 30%. However, relying on the hard work of this destroyer unit, Earl Spey's four capital ships finally escaped the fate of being annihilated in the first round of attacks, except that the Kaiser Wilhelm II failed to escape due to damage to the power cabin. In addition, the remaining 4 battleships re-entered the night.
"The Seventh Destroyer Squadron almost achieved the pinnacle of the Navy's auxiliary fleet in World War I. In this battle of less than half an hour, the officers and soldiers of the Destroyer Squadron were perfect in both response and action. The two ships The large destroyers successfully divided the British Thunder Fleet, and their bravery created the conditions for the German fleet to survive the first round of strikes. The actions of the remaining 5 destroyers can be described as fearless, and they have no Weapons that can cause damage to the capital ship, but this does not prevent them from using their flesh and blood to fight for the final life of the capital ship! They bravely rushed to the British main fleet and forced the opponent to turn. Their actions temporarily weakened The Thomas Fleet’s attack on the German Fleet gave me the time and ability to continue to entangle with the British, and their bravery and determination also made the battle possible the next day. Proud and proud to fight."
After the war, Earl Spey praised the achievements of the Seventh Destroyer Squadron in his memoirs. And the Grand Iron Cross awarded by the Kaiser was hung in the Navy Club in Wilhelmshaven, the home port of the Seventh Destroyer Squadron, and below it was specially marked "Dedicated to my most respected comrade-in-arms and hero - the first Glory to the Seventh Destroyer Squadron!"
"General, except for a former dreadnought battleship, their main fleet has escaped." An officer carefully reported to Thomas. At this moment, the angry Thomas remained silent with a livid face. He really couldn't bear how the plan he had planned for such a long time could end up in such a result! This kind of frustration and the unwillingness in his heart made him very angry!
"I see, today's battle is not over, we will continue to fight until we pick them out one by one from the night in the Strait of Dover and kill them!" Thomas said as he returned to the chart, he needed Reorganize your thinking.
"The German fleet turned to the northwest. They didn't go home but went deeper into the strait. The FB27 bombers we are currently in the air have been driven off by German planes. They are in very bad shape. There is nothing the second batch can do, so we need to wait. The third batch!" said the aviation staff officer in charge of contacting the air force.
"What's the situation with our auxiliary battleship?" Thomas asked.
"Except for the intercepted Thunder Squadron, the losses of other light cruisers and destroyers are very small, and they can perform their missions well, but it is a pity that the Gaunt fleet has suffered a lot. If we want to take care of them, or block the entire strait There will be great difficulties," said an officer.
"Let Major General Gaunt find a way to return to the port by himself, and I sympathize with what happened to him, but unfortunately, I can't help it." Thomas said. "Contact all aviation units, destroyer units, auxiliary cruisers, and those trawlers in the Strait of Dover immediately! Pass the entire strait for me, they are all injured, they can't run fast!"
"General, there are only 2 hours before our return time. If we delay the time, it may lead to serious consequences. Our air support is limited." An officer said.
"I know that the battlefield is always full of risks and opportunities, and sometimes we need to take some risks! I will consider this issue.
Now, find it out for me! "Thomas said without looking back. At the same time, not far away, Earl Spey was commanding his fleet to lick his wounds. Thomas' blow just now was indeed fatal. From the perspective of the battle plan It's perfect, but unfortunately, there were some problems in the middle, but even so, the Spey fleet still suffered heavy losses.
"Your Excellency, in the battle just now, we lost the former dreadnought battleship Kaiser Wilhelm II, as well as a light cruiser and more than 10 destroyers. The condition of the Kaiser is not very good, and an important steam pipeline was destroyed. Damaged, now barely repaired and can only maintain a speed of 16 knots. The two armored cruisers are in very good condition, with more than 80% combat effectiveness. Your flagship has 2 main guns destroyed, and the side of the hull was hit 3 times, two of which The shelling brought us more than 900 tons of water." A German officer said.
"Well, the situation is not too bad. Have we responded to the battle report we sent to the headquarters?" Earl Spey asked.
"The headquarters called back, they will try their best to seize this opportunity, and said that the follow-up reserve fleet will continue to provide assistance to the fleet, and we allow the use of a new high-frequency radio station for communication, and the High Seas Fleet will send capital ships to respond near the safety line We. Our fleet can choose to evacuate at the right time." A staff officer said.
"Very good, tonight's game has just begun!" Earl Spey said. The command given by the German Naval Headquarters to the earl was very broad. You could choose to retreat or continue to entangle with the British. The British knew the threat of the Luftwaffe, so they asked the Thomas fleet to retreat early, and the Germans naturally knew about this problem! Why were Ruprecht and Scheer entangled before? It was because they were worried that the British would only use half the night to retreat their troops and then return early, so they considered using an aircraft carrier to intercept halfway if necessary. And if the British fleet retreated later, it would be easy to say, because they probably couldn't get out of the detection range of the German aviation force! Even the use of aircraft carriers is saved!
"The next battle may be very cruel. I hope you can understand my difficulties. All of us may die in the battle tonight. I can't guarantee anything else, but I can guarantee that I will fight with my flagship And you will live and die together, I will not be captured, if things really reach an irreversible level, I will be with our flagship." Earl Spey said seriously.
"For Germany, for victory, for the Imperial High Seas Fleet!" a group of officers said passionately. At this point, when facing an unrivaled enemy, Earl Spey decided to play a death game! And the big prize in this game is time! Time will decide his and Thomas' fate!
Two updates today~~~! Ask for a subscription and a reward~~~!