"This was a lengthy battle. Since the British government issued an ultimatum to the Norwegian government on August 10, 1918, the direct probing and fighting between the two sides lasted for nearly two months, including some minor incidents.

There are also battles between cruisers and Dreadnoughts.

Sometimes there are planes to help. Of course, the most important and decisive battle between the main fleets is indispensable. This is the longest naval battle between the British and American fleets and the German fleet. It is also the longest naval battle.

The battle that ultimately changed the course of the war." - Scheer.

The Germans moved faster than the British thought. Shortly after a British armored cruiser formation successfully attacked the Port of Bergen, the German High Seas Fleet appeared near the Skagerrak. And the German Navy

The aviation force also entered Norway in the name of protecting the allies, and along with them came the German Army wearing Marine Corps uniforms.

However, in order to prevent the Norwegian government from backlash and avoid unnecessary conflicts, the scale of the ground troops stationed by Germany is still very small, and its role is only to protect the security of areas near ports and airports. At the same time, in order to appease the Norwegian government, Germany

He also provided him with gold and silver worth 40 million marks (1914 price level).

At the same time, because it was relatively close to the Shetland Islands, where the British Grand Fleet was based, Scheer also specially dispatched some submarines to take charge of security. As a result, the British and German submarine security lines overlapped, and submarines from both sides soon began to use decks.

The guns attacked the other side, forcing the other side to dive or move. Then destroyers and light cruisers from both sides frequently appeared in the nearby waters, and small-scale exchanges of fire between each other never stopped.

Scheer has chosen a very suitable forward base for the Grand Fleet. This base is the port of Stavanger in Norway. This is the fourth largest city in Norway. It is not far from the British mainland. Temporary airports can also be built around it. If

If the British Grand Fleet takes action, Scheer can be the first

It's time to take action. "Even if we have to tell the British, if they want to destroy our base in Norway, then they must use the Grand Fleet to fight us decisively!" Scheer's words were full of gunpowder. The High Seas Fleet has already reached the sword.

Get to the other person's throat and force the other person to come out.

On August 15, 1918, Hesse and Deutschland of the German Fourth Battleship Group met with a British armored cruiser in the waters near Leconger. In this battle, a British armored cruiser was hit 4 times by the 11-inch main gun.

More than 800 tons of water. Barely returned to Shetland Islands.

On August 17, 1918, the British and German naval light cruiser formations met in the waters near Bergen. Four British light cruisers damaged a German light cruiser and sank a destroyer. They then retreated safely.

On August 21, 1918, the British armored cruiser Shannon attacked the German submarine anchorage at Askwall at night. It destroyed a German submarine and a supply ship, but encountered a rapid German attack during its evacuation the next day.

The battleship Goeben, the last British cruiser, was finally sunk after only 20 minutes of fighting. An accompanying destroyer was also sunk by a German light cruiser.

"We can't go on like this. We have fewer wins and more defeats!" Betty looked at the recent battle damage table and said very depressedly. Warships below light cruisers are not included. By the end of August, the British Royal Navy had lost nearly 35,000 tons of warships.

Battleships and auxiliary ships. The Germans have a geographical advantage. The German High Seas Fleet based in Stavanger can easily put the entire southern Norway under its protection. The British

China does not have fast battleships. It is impossible for the capital ships to disperse. However, the German Bismarck-class battleships and Goben fast battleships have speed and distance advantages, and can completely maneuver under the reconnaissance of land-based aircraft to ensure the safety of southern Norway.

.As Jericho said at the beginning, if the Grand Fleet is not dispatched, with the arrival of the High Seas Fleet, the British pre-dreadnought fleet will have no advantage at all.

Some people may ask, why can Stavanger Port in Norway allow the High Seas Fleet to be stationed at any time, but the port in Portugal cannot allow the Allied Fleet to station at any time? There is only one reason, and that is that the German High Seas Fleet just needs an anchorage and a large amount of supplies.

and ammunition and other supplies can be shipped from Germany at any time

(The distance is very close.) And Portugal itself cannot produce various key accessories needed for battleships, and the port at the southern end of Portugal (in order to block the Strait of Gibraltar, the port scheduled by the Allies is the Port of Faro in Portugal) is far away from France. No.

If we stock up some supplies in advance, there won't be enough for the fleet to consume.

From an environmental point of view, the German High Seas Fleet in Stavanger will hardly be threatened by the Allied Air Force or Army. The British torpedo planes do not have enough range, and the Army is nonsense. But Portugal has to face the Spanish Army and the Allies.

Attack by the air force. In order to ensure the safety of the fleet, necessary defense facilities must be built to allow the fleet to station in an area without air defense alerts and without

It is really unimaginable to have a military port covered by aircraft. Although the bomb accuracy is not high, what if a battleship wins the jackpot? Portugal does not have the ability to repair large battleships, so this unlucky battleship will

We can only run back to France! So because of the different port requirements, the German fleet can enter Stavanger, but the Allied fleet cannot enter Faro Port!

"How about we mobilize the Thomas Fleet back to the North Sea? Immediately mobilize and then take action. If we act quickly, I am afraid that before the Italians can react, we will have finished fighting the Germans." Betty proposed a quite tempting idea.

The idea is to quickly mobilize troops, engage in the battle immediately, and wait for the Germans to go back after the battle! Concentrate superior forces to defeat the Germans first. After all, the Thomas fleet is in Lisbon now. If the callback is immediate, it will not take long to fight with the main force.

The fleets converge.

"You may not know that the fleets of Tycho and Count Spey have already arrived in Gibraltar. How could the Germans not be wary of our deployment of troops with such a large-scale operation? Just 3 days ago, the Allied Mediterranean Fleet had stationed in Gibraltar, not only

Spey's fast fleet and even four Italian battleships also appeared.

They may not have been fully repaired. Most of the American warships are on the slipway. If the Thomas fleet leaves, the Allied Mediterranean fleet may directly attack France! Isn’t the lesson of Saint-Nazaire not profound?

A battleship was killed in a daze on the slipway like this!" Jericho said with a bitter smile.

"The situation is very unfavorable to us now. The Allied navies cannot be said to have absolute superiority in the North Sea or the Atlantic. If we can delay it until the second half of 1919, then the situation will naturally change, but the Germans will not give us a chance. They

The sword is held to our throats, we must fight them." Looking at Betty, whose face was a little gray, Jericho couldn't help but have mixed feelings.

Betty was once regarded as the future commander of the British Grand Fleet and was hailed as the most dazzling star in the Royal Navy. If it were not for her seniority and practical experience, Betty might have become the Grand Fleet as early as 1914.

Commander. "The number one and number two will always be enemies!" Back then

When Jericho heard this, he just smiled. He didn't like fighting for power. Although he was dissatisfied with Betty's impatience and aggressiveness, he thought that if Betty could improve, Jericho would still be more optimistic about Betty's future.

Fortunately, he himself does not have much hostility towards the so-called "successor".

However, Jericho is tolerant, but that does not mean that Betty is tolerant. The differences between Betty and Jericho are getting bigger and bigger, extending from the initial strategy and tactics to personnel appointments and various trivial matters. Can Jericho

It is naturally impossible to sit on the throne of the Grand Fleet

The polished commander. He also has a group of subordinates! Outside the party, there are no emperors and no factions in the party. No matter how good-tempered Jericho is, he still has to think about his subordinates. Otherwise, who will follow you? This is the result.

, the dispute between the two parties became more and more serious.

What happened next was that Betty took control of the Grand Fleet and the Fast Fleet. However, in actual combat, this man who could only fight with the wind won less and lost more. Betty, who was once called the Nelson of the Age, the embodiment of the determination and perseverance of the Royal Navy, finally won the battle.

He was criticized after failure after failure. Even some people who once praised him

In turn, he attacked him, saying that he ruined the entire Royal Navy's fast fleet! Later, he was relegated to the sidelines. But Thomas became the unofficial future heir of the Grand Fleet. Logically speaking, Jericho should be happy, but he looked frustrated.

And Betty, who was frustrated but wanted to prove herself, was not happy at all.

"Betty is praised by others. The actions of certain people have fueled his pride and arrogance. If he were not so proud, he would be a very good fleet commander. He has a sharp mind and a strong fighting spirit.

But pride and the praise of others made everything synonymous with stubbornness and paranoia. He couldn't listen to any suggestions, so he failed. "Jericho said this about Betty in his diary. He deeply regretted this.

Although Jericho felt that Betty's idea was difficult to realize, a glimmer of hope in his heart still allowed him to submit the plan to the Navy. After all, if it was really possible to mobilize a fast fleet to go north, and if Germany did not know about it

If so, then the British fleet will gain a huge advantage! Even if it loses hundreds of thousands of tons of transport ships, it doesn't matter! Exchange hundreds of thousands of tons of transport ships for the German High Seas Fleet, this deal is so worth it!
Chapter completed!