Chapter 17: The Peak Battle (Sixth)

Due to the influence of sunlight, the Ruby destroyer responsible for the periphery only discovered huge shadows and smoke columns that soared into the sky at a distance of 17,000 yards.

Navy powers have strict regulations on the formation of warships. Destroyers are subject to limited tonnage and ship space, so there is no special command tower, so a team composed of several destroyers is usually defined as a destroyer detachment.

The Eleventh Destroyer where Ruby is located became a fleet rather than a detachment just because of the existence of the Castor light cruiser with complete command capabilities. However, at this time, the Castor light cruiser was not in the battle sequence of the Eleventh Destroyer Fleet. The long sailing caused the old light cruiser boiler to leak steam and had to turn around and return to the home port. Therefore, the Eleventh Destroyer Fleet was actually just a destroyer detachment.

On the unprotected bridge above the Ruby front deck, Captain Miles, holding the telescope, trembled slightly. Facing the dazzling light, cold sweat unconsciously penetrated and wet the front and back of the military uniform.

Although the latest super-dreadnought main gun has exceeded 2

000 yards, but due to the initial velocity and deep penetration of armor-piercing bombs, it can be 1

000 yards is the most suitable distance to exert the power of the main shell, so 1

000 yards found that the distance was not enough to break the British bottom line. Of course, if the two fleets were walking towards each other and approaching each other 1,500 meters per minute, everything would be a different matter.

Captain Miles was obviously facing the latter situation. The damn German man came out of the east with the sun's cover at a maximum speed no less than the H-class destroyer, causing the Royal Navy who were neglecting to defend suddenly to panic.

If the German fleet is at 1

Turning at a distance of 000 yards, seizing the T-shaped horizontal head of the battle line of the large fleet, the horizontal advantage of the large fleet will become a frustrating column compared to the German First Reconnaissance Fleet. The Dogersan Sea Battle proves that Germany's new combat patrol is no less powerful than that of the super-dreadnoughts. The third team where Commander-in-Chief Jericho is located will inevitably suffer heavy damage when caught off guard. The large fleet that temporarily lost its command is likely to fall into chaos.

The above is just the best situation. If the Germans choose to cross from the north of the large fleet, the situation will be even worse. Even if the battle lines of the two fleets are short, the entire firepower of the large fleet is concentrated on the German main fleet, especially the most powerful Seventh Detachment. At this time, the First Reconnaissance Fleet can attack the large fleet at will and escape before the large fleet turns its guns.

Of course, the Germans may also choose to intersperse from the dangerous battle lines. However, in Captain Miles's view, it is better to expect the famous German Navy general Heidi Sileme to make such a "low-end" mistake than to expect the Russians who retreated on the eastern continental battlefield to break through the German defense line, counterattack Tannenburg, and counterattack East Prussia.

The form could not tolerate Captain Miles hesitation. As the closest destroyer to the Great Fleet, he and his fleet were responsible for the safety of the north side of the main fleet. So after he asked the telegraph room confidential officer to report to the Iron Duke, Captain Miles ordered the 11th destroyer to line up to fight.

The Ruby, which was temporarily flagship, was hung with a signal flag symbolizing charge on its low mast, and fifteen old destroyers began to assemble and discharge torpedo attack formations.

"These idiots!"

The Ruby destroyer, which was tragic to himself, was eastward.

At 000 yards, David Betty's fast fleet is chasing the German First Reconnaissance Fleet as flexible as a moray eel.

Because he faced the sun, David Betty's fast fleet's observation line was better than that of the Eleventh Destroyer. So the watchtower of the Lion Battle Patrol Watchtower soon discovered the abnormal movement of the Eleventh Destroyer, responsible for protecting the flanks of the Great Fleet.

Just like the derogatory word popped up from the experienced lookout's mouth, David Betty, whose eyes were bloodshot, let go of Song Feng Ji's buckle and repeated the lookout's scolding.

"Who are they? Are they in heavy armor? Are they a battleship with excellent performance? Or a group of Moltkes that never sink?! What do they want to do? Use short-legged torpedoes to block a battleship fleet that is in good condition during the day?"

After a night of fighting, the Royal Princess and the Australia sank one after another. The War War was seriously injured and forced to withdraw from the battle. The price paid by the old enemy Silame was only a heavy blow to an export war cruiser. The British Empire, who led ten fast battleships to leave the port with great enthusiasm, embarked on the journey to Germany in the south, disappeared, and replaced by a young man with red eyes and could not afford to lose.

David Betty never denies Heidi Silem's talent in naval strategy, nor denies that he has learned a lot of novelty from Silem, but he will never think that he is inferior to his old friend.

Excellent family, smooth promotion, glory gained in Egypt, South Africa, the Far East, the love of the Admiralty and the British Empire, and the praise of the media around the world, all of these are the origin of David Betty's pride, but the low-key Heidi Silem used a decoupling method to tear off the golden halo that wrapped around the young man layer by layer. So reason disappeared and thinking disappeared. All Betty was thinking about how to win a game from Silem, even if it was just a trivial victory.

Betty, who was filled with depression, was still furious and shouting to send the poor Eleventh Destroyer Commander to the military court and to the gallows that had hanged King Charlie.

"General, maybe you should calm down..." After the Australian sinking, the morale of the fast fleet suddenly fell, and even Lampard, who had an artist's temperament, felt the slackness and impatience. Although the fast fleet still had seven fast battleships, the situation was not at the end of its reach. Lampard had a premonition that this was the last glory of the Royal Navy.

What happened after the rebirth? Lampard didn't dare to continue thinking. He could only hope that his character was frigid, but his command ability was no less than that of Heidi Silem's David Betty could adjust his mentality.

"Deputy Commander, this is a war! This is a war related to the century-long destiny of the British Empire!"

As a subordinate, Lampard's swear words and anger that did not come made the busy Lion Battle Commander Tower feel as silent as if he was dead. Betty's pale lips trembled slightly, and a hint of shame finally appeared on her fair face.

"Major General, you are right! I hope everything is still too late!" Betty took a deep breath, removed the white gloves from his hand and threw them on the floor, turned his head and ordered: "Order, the Lion's right-hand ruling three, pass from the north side of the large fleet, and the rapid fleet ships follow the flagship."

Under the double interference of sunlight and the smoke wall that permeated the hull, the Seventh Team found that the First Reconnaissance Fleet was later than that of Ruby, but Hippel's mood at this time was completely different from that of Captain Ruby.

After his beloved pipe was forcibly confiscated by his wife, excited Hippel once again took out a filter cigarette that he couldn't smoke and stuffed it into his dry mouth. When the lookout reported that the British Express Fleet failed to entangle the First Reconnaissance Fleet, the elderly deputy commander of the Ocean Fleet made a rare joke with the cigarette in his mouth.

"Although General Silame is not pretty, I have to admit that he did a pretty job!"

The First Reconnaissance Fleet obviously would not take the T-shaped head in front of the large fleet, or cross from the north side of the large fleet. Although these two actions are quite tempting, as the proposer of the perfect cruiser theory, Silame obviously would not easily give up the speed advantage that is crucial to combat patrols, leaving his First Reconnaissance Fleet entangled. Silame came out at the most unexpected place at the British, the most unlikely time, with only one purpose, that is, to cover the retreat of the Seventh Team that was in trouble.

There is no need for Wang Heidi to remind him of anything with radio. The long-term partner and the outstanding commander's similar thinking made it possible for the two most powerful German squadron commanders to have enough tacit understanding. Admiral Hippel swung his fist hard at the air, as if he wanted to vent his passive anger of being beaten for more than ten minutes. He shouted at the fleet staff and department commanders who were excited in the commander's tower with confidence:

"Young men, why are you still standing there? Order the fleet to stop the shelling and release smoke and withdraw from the battle! We cannot let down the chance of General Silame fight!"

"King Anton, Bruno, and Emil's gun team stopped firing!" The commander's order was first conveyed by the King's gun captain. Through the signal flag and radio, this sound will continue in the crown prince, the general election emperor, and the border governor.

"arschloch!, record this account first!" The three turrets of the King, who had no military achievements, closed the cannon bolts in disappointment. The unwilling gunner spat hard in the direction where the three iron dukes of the British Third Detachment and Qiao Wu were located, burying the seeds of revenge in his heart.

Under the gaze of the British Eleventh Destroyer Fleet, the First Reconnaissance Fleet "adventure" carried out a great journey. This was the largest adventure in the history of world naval warfare. The First Reconnaissance Fleet, which has been through a long battle formation, almost sticking to the battle line of the large fleet, using coal smoke and deliberately released chemical smoke to create a smoke wall to cover the retreat of the Seventh Team and the Ocean Fleet's battle line to form.

This was the turning point of the Battle of Jutland, so that later bored naval historians named this action "Jetland Time Travel".

Before the "Jetland Crossing", the smoke wall caused by continuous shooting made the large fleet unable to make expensive optical range-finding instruments unable to aim at the First Reconnaissance Fleet that rushed into the battle line. When the Seventh Detachment and the First Reconnaissance Fleet continuously released smoke, the Large Fleet's sight was completely blocked, and Jericho had to stop the meaningless shelling action. When the First Reconnaissance Fleet won the "Jetland Crossing", even though Jericho took the tactical action of turning inward to a small angle south, all the advantages of the Large Fleet still collapsed gorgeously at this moment.

This is the quality advantage that the British could not shake for the time being in March 1915!

Later historians have always criticized Jericho's inaction during this period. Those brick-drawn players in suits and tie insisted that once Jericho mobilized the destroyer fleet and used the cover of three smoke walls to approach the Ocean Fleet to fish in the muddy waters, the large fleet may have the most exciting victory ever. Of course, they are talking on paper and will never consider too much about the fact that the eleventh destroyer, closest to the large fleet, has surpassed the large fleet, and have made their own initiative to arrange a "torped blockade line" in the northeast direction. They also deliberately ignored the fact that the 12th destroyer fleet and the Fourth Light Cruise Fleet need six minutes to discharge the attack formation, because the distance problem must take five minutes or even more time to pass through the extension line of the battle line of the large fleet and launch an attack on the target.

David Betty's performance before and after the "Jetland Crossing" was also mocked, and everyone criticized Betty for being more famous than her strength. However, Japanese ship designer Kikuo Fujimoto, who was watching on the Iron Duke of the Great Fleet, stood up to defend Betty's decision to turn right and cross from the outside of the Great Fleet.

"Because of the drag of the untiring, General Betty's fast fleet could only maintain a speed of less than 23.4 knots, while the Germans had at least 25 knots, and they had the tactical advantage of turning first. Betty chose to cross the battle line parallel from the outside when he couldn't catch up. Not only did he choose to make things worse for the large fleet with poor observation conditions, but he also laid the groundwork for the subsequent battle patrol team's final battle. If Betty hadn't turned further north in advance, the fast fleet would have been unable to sink the German battle patrol and severely damaged the Moltke!"

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Chapter completed!