Chapter 849 The Road to War 1

Jericho agreed to strengthen Betty's fleet and was willing to detach a fleet to support Betty's actions. In the end, the lonely Queen Elizabeth-class battleship Warrior and the newly commissioned battlecruiser Queen Mary were handed over to Betty, while Australia temporarily replaced Indomitable because the former was faster. In this case, the Betty fleet temporarily has 7 fast battleships, namely Warrior, Lion, Tiger, Grand Princess, Queen Mary, Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to these fleets, Jericho also temporarily allocated an additional First Battleship Squadron to Betty. The First Battleship Squadron is commanded by Vice Admiral Jerram and has four George V-class battleships equipped with 10 343mm guns. (Yes, it has the same name as George V in World War II history.) These four battleships are George V, Ajax, Centurion and Erin. At the same time, accompanying the transfer of the First Battleship Squadron was the Third Light Cruiser Division. This light cruiser division was commanded by Rear Admiral Napier and consisted of four light cruisers. "In this case, the Betty fleet has a total of 7 fast battleships and 2 light cruiser squadrons, a total of 8 light cruisers, plus the supporting 1st battleship squadron and 3rd light cruiser squadron, a total of 11 capital ships and 12 light cruisers. Such a lineup can protect itself even against the main force of the High Seas Fleet." Sir Fisher said. "Actually, I have always wondered whether the German fleet would choose to flee the battlefield if it encountered such a powerful Betty fleet? If we were not blocked on their way back, I am afraid this could only be a rout rather than a battle of annihilation. ." Churchill said. "It would be best if we could stop the opponent. This is what we want to see. If it is a normal encounter, the four super-dreadnought battlecruisers will be faster. They will entangle the opponent first. The two Dreadnought battle cruisers and the Warrior are slower and may fall behind. So our advantage may not be great at the beginning, and the Germans may not choose to evacuate. And even if they evacuate, we will have three The light cruiser formation has the opportunity to hinder the opponent's evacuation through lightning strikes and interference," Fisher said. "You can try this plan. Anyway, we won't lose much if it fails." Churchill was not very satisfied with Fisher's answer, but thinking about it, this was indeed an attempt to take the initiative. Unable to find a reason for failure, Churchill believed that the "subjective initiative" of front-line fleet personnel should not be restricted. Especially now, when the situation in the Indian Ocean is uncertain. "I hope that when General Betty launches an attack, your large fleet can provide support." Although Jericho had promised to temporarily assign the First Battleship Squadron to Betty's command, Churchill still felt a little uneasy. Although he didn't know where his worries came from, he still hoped that the British Empire's navy could act together. "It depends on the situation. Recently, the Grand Fleet has been conducting suppressive patrols 5 times every 2 weeks. Sometimes we are close to the edge of the German minefield before returning. The fleet is under great pressure and has some fuel. The supply is not available. The fleet can come out, but it may be difficult to provide high-speed support, unless the Admiralty can provide me with another 20,000 tons of fuel and Welsh anthracite." Jericho said helplessly. "Let's wait until next month." Churchill said coquettishly. In fact, the current submarine warfare has put considerable pressure on the British, especially after the German navy turned the waters surrounding the UK into a war zone and announced that it could attack all merchant ships heading to the UK. The British transport fleet suffered losses The number has risen sharply, and a considerable number of neutral merchant ships are unwilling to go to Britain anymore because of safety issues. This has caused certain difficulties in the supply of materials in the UK.

Although it is not like the requirement that destroyers should not exceed 18 knots in the later stages of World War I. But the overall speed of the fleet is still limited to a low level due to fuel problems.

Of course, we can’t throw all the blame to the German submarines. The Grand Fleet is too hungry. There is also a problem. Although the North Sea is not big, it can’t hold it for two or five weeks. The Jericho Grand Fleet has 2 dozen battleships. , as well as a large number of armored cruisers and light cruisers. Including destroyers, the number of various auxiliary warships directly reaches three digits. Such a fleet travels to the North Sea three times a week... Historically it was only twice a week. You must know that if a super-dreadnought is fully loaded with coal and fuel, it is normal to carry up to 4,000 tons. If it runs like this all day long, Jericho's extra 20,000 tons of coal and fuel may not be enough. "Try to solve the difficulties as much as possible. The large fleet can be dispatched in advance. After all, we can already predict the opponent's time." Churchill said. "If there are no problems, then let's settle it like this. Commander Jericho, you and General Betty will complete the handover of the fleet as soon as possible. The task of intercepting Hipper's fleet will be left to General Betty to plan. As for Thomas? He is lucky this time. Let him stay in the Indian Ocean and command Warspite and Malaya to deal with the Su Xiong fleet." After finishing speaking, Fisher looked at Churchill, hoping to seek his opinion. "I completely agree with this plan. If there is no problem, let's take action first! Maybe on the other side of the North Sea, our enemies are ready to attack again." Churchill said. And this time Churchill was really right. Just as the British Navy adjusted its deployment and prepared for a big fight, the German High Seas Fleet at the other end of the North Sea had also made final preparations before the attack. Although Hipper had often gone out for a walk before, this time, in terms of scale and strategic significance, Hipper's actions were simply incomparable to the upcoming battle. Just the day before the British meeting, Ruprecht had arrived at the port of Kiel, and here he met almost all the top brass of the German Navy, including Minister of State for the Navy Tirpitz, Commander of the High Seas Fleet Feng .General Bohr, Lieutenant-Admiral Scheer, Commander of the 1st Battleship Squadron, and Lieutenant-Admiral Hipper, Commander of the Battlecruiser Fleet. "Judging from the current situation, everything is going according to our plan. General Su Xiong's performance seems to be better than expected. Not only did he temporarily avoid the encirclement and suppression of the British fleet, but he also brought two Queen Elizabeth-class ships to The battleship has been sent to the dock. If nothing else happens, the Thomas Fleet can be excluded from the combat sequence. They will not appear on the battlefield in the North Sea in a short time. Even if they return to the UK, they will probably go to the dock and change the turret or something. ." Ruprecht said with satisfaction. The third update is here~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~! There seems to be an infinite push tomorrow! If you are a book lover, please support me and subscribe for a few chapters~~~!