1855 United States Tycoon

Chapter 606, Search

The main reason why Captain Roland was able to recognize this German battlecruiser at a glance was that the mast of this battlecruiser was so distinctive. The mast of this battlecruiser should not even be called a mast, but a tower mast. This towering mast as high as the spire of a Gothic church is the most prominent symbol of the Frederick the Great battlecruiser ordered by the Germans from the United States. In the entire world, only this battlecruiser has such a unique mast, so Captain Roland recognized this battlecruiser at a glance.

This design originated from the later Japanese battleships. Such a mast can undoubtedly greatly expand the field of vision of the battleship and help the battleship find the enemy first. German battlecruisers are more often used as attack ships. Under normal circumstances, they are to avoid fighting with British warships of the same type. Because the Germans lack overseas bases, once a warship is damaged in battle, it is difficult to find a dock for repairs. Once injured, the combat effectiveness cannot be restored. The British warship of the same kind, as long as they return to the port for a few months of repairs, will be another militant warship. Therefore, not to mention fighting against British warships of the same level, that is, fighting against British warships of the next level, is not an advocated behavior. So the ability to find the enemy first is very important, because if you can find the enemy as far as possible, it will be more convenient to fight or run. Of course, any design has its pros and cons. While this design improves the detection capabilities of warships, it also severely affects the stability of warships in high sea conditions. The sea conditions in the Atlantic Ocean have not been very good. In order to make up for this, the United States added a huge damping fin to this warship. Such a huge damping fin can certainly improve the stability of this warship in high sea conditions to a certain extent, but it also The ability of this warship to turn has been greatly affected. This is a huge defect. If it is in a fleet engagement, this defect in navigation performance will make it very difficult, or even almost impossible, for the fleet to seize the enemy’s T head. However, considering that this type of battlecruiser is not used to fight fleet decisive battles at all, it is an assault ship used to attack the merchant fleet. When dealing with merchant ships, this defect becomes tolerable.

“Quick! Quickly send a telegram!” Captain Roland shouted: “Report that we found the German battlecruiser!” At this time, the German warship was still a little far away from the merchant ship, although it was not necessary due to the high speed of the battlecruiser. It will take a long time to catch up, but there is still time to send a telegram.

After a while, the German battlecruiser caught up, and Captain Roland discovered that there were more than one German warship, and behind this battlecruiser, there was also an ordinary cruiser.

“Boom” that ordinary cruiser fired. However, no shells fell. Obviously, this was just a warning with empty shells. Roland raised his binoculars and looked over, and saw a sailor on the mast of the cruiser waving two flags with both hands, and he was sending semaphores to them. As the captain, Roland certainly recognized the meaning of the semaphore: “Stop the ship immediately!”

“Has the telegram been sent?” Roland asked.

“Captain, it has been sent.” Chief Carvalho replied.

“Well then, just as they said, stop the boat.” Captain Roland said.

They are now driving an ordinary cargo ship with a top speed of only 17 knots, and this is still a theoretical figure. In fact, this ship has been running at sea for quite a long time, and the engine has deteriorated a lot. In addition, after soaking in the sea for so many years, the bottom of the ship cannot be said to be covered with barnacles and other messy things, the resistance during sailing. It is also much larger than when it was just launched, and coupled with a ship full of cargo, it is not always certain whether this ship can run at 15 knots. In terms of running, there is absolutely no way to escape. And this is just an unarmed merchant ship. If you want to fight with a cruiser and a battlecruiser, it is no different from suicide. Anyway, the telegram has already been sent out, and as a citizen of the United Kingdom, he has fulfilled his responsibilities. Now, surrender is naturally the best choice.

The Goodman Anderson slowly stopped, and then the heavy anchor was also thrown down. The cruiser approached and stopped about six to seven hundred meters away from the Goodman Anderson. The shells of several main guns on the cruiser had been removed, and the muzzle of the black hole turned around and aimed at the good man. Anderson. As for the battlecruiser, it continued to sail slowly in the distance.

At this time, a small sampan was lowered from the cruiser, and a group of sailors got on the small sampan and rowed towards the good man Anderson. In a short while, he rowed beside the Goodman Anderson. The sailors on the Goodman Anderson dropped the rope ladder, and a group of German sailors with submachine guns got on the ship.

“Are you the captain of this ship?” said a German navy officer with the rank of second lieutenant to Roland.

“Yes, I am the captain of this ship. I hope that my crew can be treated humanely.” Roland said.

“Don’t worry, as long as you don’t deliberately make trouble, we will abide by the rules.” The ensign said, “Now, Mr. Captain, can you show me the list of cargo on this ship?”

Generally speaking, after the assault ship captured the enemy’s merchant ship, it either escorted the merchant ship back to its own port or sank the merchant ship directly. The Germans did not have any available ports on the Atlantic Ocean. Germany did have several colonies and ports in Southwest Africa, but these ports are now very unsafe. The British fleet has already slammed the door, smashing these ports into a mess. Some of these colonies are about to be occupied by the British, and some are okay now, but maybe the British fleet is also moving towards those places. Take the captured merchant ships and run there, maybe they will hit them head-on. Enter the British fleet. Germans should not be willing to do such a thing.

“Okay, Mr. Lieutenant, I’ll get it to you,” Roland said.

“Gatul, you go with Mr. Captain.” The ensign turned his head and said to a soldier.

“Good sir.” The soldier replied, and at the same time he helped the submachine gun hung on his chest.

…

“Steel ingots, rubber, food, and brass and fuel oil. Very good, they are all necessary for war.” Navy Colonel Neuer nodded slightly, “Where is the Siren now?”

“Sir, the Siren should be not far away, shall we contact them now?” an officer replied.

“Of course, many of these materials are useful to the Empire.” Colonel Neuer replied.

…

Captain Roland and others were all escorted aboard the battlecruiser, temporarily detained in a cabin, and their ship was taken over by the Germans. However, the Germans behaved quite like a gentleman and did not abuse them. Not only did they eat three meals a day, they also had no shortage of drinking water, but their personal belongings, except for pistols and daggers. Confiscated, including the first mate’s hard liquor and the captain’s ivory pipe.

The crew stayed in this cabin for several days, and then another officer led them onto the deck, and they saw another cargo ship on the sea.

“Gentlemen.” The officer who took them to the deck said to them, “We still have a combat mission. It is a lot of inconvenience to take you all, so you need to transfer to that ship.”

That ship is of course the extra cargo ship, but in fact, it is not a cargo ship, but an assault ship disguised as a cargo ship. This assault ship was called “Sirens” in the German sequence. It was converted from a fast merchant ship, and his apparent name was changed frequently. In this hull that looks like an ordinary merchant ship, there are four 150mm guns and eight torpedo tubes. This ship was originally a cargo ship, so naturally it also has a warehouse, which can hold a lot of things and people. So the Germans transferred these British crews to this ship. Obviously, it is impossible for the Germans to keep a group of British sailors on the ship for a long time. The German attack fleet has been active at sea for a long time, and every supply is precious. But if you want to kill all the British crew directly, the war has just begun, and everyone’s morale is not so low. So these British crews still find a place to let them go. It was just placed in a lively place with ships coming and going. The British crew were easily rescued, but as soon as these people were rescued, the position and strength of the Germans were exposed. And there is a lot less time left for them to run long distances. If it is left in a deserted place, isn’t it a waste of the warship’s voyage? Therefore, the Germans intend to allow the “Sirren” disguised as a cargo ship to perform such a task, and it is much better to waste its voyage than to waste a regular warship.

The “Sirren” is equipped with a lifting boom. The Germans found a calm sea area and anchored the Goodman Anderson. Few supplies were hung from the Goodman Anderson. After most of the supplies were transferred to the Siren’s warehouse, the Siren moved to the side of the two warships, and moved some of the things used on the warships, such as fuel, such as some food, fresh water, and daily necessities. Use the boom to hoist to the warship. In this way, the two warships can continue to fight for a longer period of time. Several German sailors took explosives on board the Goodman Anderson. They placed these explosives on the keel of the ship, set the timer, and then returned to the “Sirens”. A few minutes later, the Goodman Anderson shook, and then the hull began to tilt gradually. About ten minutes later, the ship broke in two and sank into the sea.