Bismarck

The bombers unscrupulously exposed their bellies to the "small boats" below, opened the bomb bays and dropped bombs one by one. This time the target was the minesweepers on the periphery of the fleet. Tirpitz's 105mm anti-aircraft guns fired at full force, but to little effect.

"call out--"

A sharp whistle pierced the sky, and this sound was so obvious amid the low sound of artillery fire.

"boom--"

"The minesweeper was hit!" the lookout reported immediately.

"Ask about the damage!"

"understand!"

Before the minesweeper could reply, another destroyer was hit. The entire ship looked like a burning column of smoke, making it difficult to see.

As losses continued to occur, Lindemann's face became solemn.

Finally, the German aircraft arrived when the third ship was hit...

Just one minute late...

"Everyone, fire freely!" the leader gave the order without any expression.

"Understood!" the pilots roared back.

Dozens of neatly arranged BF-109s roared over the fleet and rushed into the British fleet like a hungry tiger pouncing on a sheep. The British bombers that were on the attack route and had no time to escape fell down with the "bang bang bang" of machine gun fire.

The Spitfire fighters were not willing to be outdone and also rushed forward. The two sides immediately engaged in a melee. In the fierce air battle, planes emitting black smoke fell from time to time. Some were British, and some were German. Both sides were blood-thirsty.

However, it is obvious that bombers can no longer bomb warships indiscriminately.

"The pressure on air defense has been reduced..." Bismarck breathed a sigh of relief. Under the cover of fighter jets, the safety of the fleet was a little guaranteed.

"It shouldn't be a problem for now, but we still can't let our guard down!" Lindeman said solemnly as he looked at the situation outside.

The destroyers and minesweepers were all injured to varying degrees, and some were even severely damaged, leaving only basic mobility.

"kindness."

The British on the opposite side were probably also fighting for their lives. Wave after wave of air strikes came over like a tide, endlessly. From morning till now, in just three hours, the British had already launched two or three large-scale air strikes on Tirpitz alone. Moreover, the next wave came just a few minutes after the previous wave of air strikes. The brutal bombing was like a war of attrition, as if they were determined to withdraw those hundreds of thousands of troops back to Britain.

"Captain Lindemann!" Flensburg hurried over.

"Major Flensburg, what's up?" Lindmann said with a smile. "Oh, by the way, thank you for the support and cover from your Air Force this time, otherwise we would have to retreat."

"Actually, that's what I wanted to say, I think we should retreat first!" said Flensburg.

"Huh? Why?"

"According to the forecast of the meteorologist, the weather is about to turn bad, and it will be difficult for the Air Force fighter jets to land at the airport. Although we can resist now, it is easy to have a vacuum period of lack of combat power..."

"Because the humid air from the ocean rises over land, fog will form on land earlier than on the sea. According to the intelligence sent back by the German Air Force airport, thick clouds have begun to appear at the land airport, which is very unfavorable for aircraft landing. What's more, the range of our fighter jets is generally short, and the fuel consumption of air combat is several times that of normal flight, so if we don't retreat, there will be no way to land safely..."

After listening to Flensburg's explanation, Lindemann looked at his own fleet and found that the losses were actually very heavy. The destroyers and minesweepers he had brought were either sunk or severely damaged. Even the Tirpitz was hit - it was hit by five or six bombs and a torpedo. The most important thing was that without the cover of the destroyers, even the unscientific operation of Bismarck and Tirpitz would not be able to withstand the Royal Air Force that was mobilized at all costs - it was only eleven o'clock in the morning, and the British had already dispatched nearly three hundred aircraft to bomb the Tirpitz, and each time was more fierce than the last...

"Lindmann, why don't we withdraw first?" Bismarck said, "If we don't have the cover of the air force, the fleet won't last long, and the situation of Tirpitz also needs temporary repairs..."

"Okay." Lindemann made up his mind, "Let's retreat!"

ps: Sorry, I should have posted it a long time ago, but something happened and I was almost mad, so the ending has been delayed until now... Good night everyone.

I recommend a book on Dianniang written by Nanian Natu (A Powerful Military Industry), "The Strongest Military Industry in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895"!

Chapter 161: Three Armies Combined

"General Ramsay, the Prime Minister is calling!"

Located at the British Naval Base at Dover.

Because the retreat operation failed the night before, Ramsay, the chief commander of the retreat who had just rushed back from the front-line headquarters on the Dunkirk beach, was holding an urgent meeting with the liaison officers of various services. Halfway through the meeting, the conference room for mutual consultation was abruptly opened, and a major officer walked in quickly. He came to the side of Vice Admiral Ramsay in front of him, leaned over and whispered.

"Now?"

"Yes, the Prime Minister said now."

"Okay, I understand." Ramsay nodded.

Then he stood up and said to the officers of the navy, army and air force below, "I need to take a call now. Let's adjourn for ten minutes. So you guys discuss what we should do next. Adjourn!"

Normally, after a recess, some people would stretch, chat and laugh to relax the atmosphere. But this time, even though Lieutenant General Ramsay walked a long way away, the entire conference room was still deathly silent - no one was in the mood to say anything. Everyone was staring at the map on the side, thinking of plans quickly, especially the army's liaison officer, whose face was terribly solemn.

Ramsay slowed down his pace immediately after walking out of the conference room. His face was not looking good. The Prime Minister's call at this time must be to ask about the generator plan. However, the problem was that this action had not made any progress, and even failed in the first stage... He needed some time to think about how to tell the Prime Minister.

He regretted a little why he was the commander of the Dover Naval Base. Since Dunkirk was close to here, the mission of evacuation naturally fell on his head. It would be best if he completed the mission well, but if he failed, his road would be over - no one could take the responsibility for the life and death of hundreds of thousands of troops. He knew very well that if the retreat failed, the blame might be shifted to himself...

As he was thinking, he arrived at the office. He looked at the unplugged phone and picked it up reluctantly.

"Hello, Mr. Prime Minister."

"Ramsay, what's the situation now?" A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. He could imagine Churchill holding a cigar in one hand and calling him with the other.

Sure enough, this is what happened at the beginning. Ramsay sighed and said, "Mr. Prime Minister, even though this news is very bad, I still have to tell you with regret that our operation failed last night."

"What?" Churchill was shocked in the microphone, and then Ramsay heard the creaking sound of the chair. It should be the Prime Minister's body changing position in the chair...

"Why did you fail?" Then a question came over.

"In fact, we were going very smoothly at the beginning. Our fleet set sail from the Dover base and traveled all the way under the cover of night..." Ramsay thought for a moment and prepared to give Prime Minister Churchill a long and tactful speech, but the Prime Minister obviously wasn't buying it.

"I don't need to hear the previous part. I just want to know why you failed."

"Uh..." Ramsay choked. "Mr. Prime Minister, because the Bismarck's sister ship suddenly appeared during the voyage, our escort fleet suffered heavy losses due to being caught off guard, so we had to retreat. The transport fleet was also dispersed, and no ship arrived in Dunkirk that day..."

"Bismarck's sister ship?" Churchill's voice suddenly rose. Anyone who was in the navy would be deeply impressed by that devilish battleship. Churchill was originally from the navy, so he was stunned for a moment.

"Yes! It's the Bismarck's sister ship, the Tirpitz. The intelligence we received was that she was undergoing sea trials in the Baltic Sea, but in fact, she suddenly appeared near Dunkirk. None of us expected it!"

"From what I understand, the Air Force dropped a mine belt on the German side near Dunkirk. How did theirs get here?!"

"Prime Minister, what I want to say is that the Air Force neglected their duties. According to the intelligence sent by the formation commander in front, the Tirpitz entered and exited the minefield without any damage, and even ran at full speed in what should be a minefield. My subordinates suspect that the Air Force did not drop mines in that area at all!"

"Is there such a thing?"

"Yes, everyone on the warship can testify, as can everyone on the civilian ship."

"Okay, I understand." Churchill said, "I will have someone investigate this matter later, but the priority now is the generator plan!"

"Mr. Prime Minister, I arrived at the Dunkirk beachhead to take command when the generator plan began. Although the situation on the front line is not optimistic, it is not beyond repair..."

"Oh? Please tell me in detail."

"A few days ago, the German armored forces suddenly stopped advancing. We took advantage of this time to build fortifications. Now there is a large circle of defense work outside Dunkirk. As of the day I came back, the Germans have not made any effective progress. We can still hold on for a few more days."

"The troops on the periphery are French, right?"

"Yes, I asked the French to resist the German attack and give priority to letting our soldiers go home," Ramsey reported.

"Well, no problem. This is their country. There is no problem in letting them leave." Churchill nodded and said on the other end of the phone.

"The main problem now is that the German Air Force is often bombing us. I have asked the Air Force to increase the number of fighter takeoffs. I believe it will have an impact on the German Stuka."

"What are you going to do about the navy? That Tirpitz."

"I believe that Tirpitz is here to intercept our transport fleet, but this is not a big problem. Although we do not have a main fleet that can compete with Tirpitz, the Air Force has already dispatched a large-scale air operation. The bombers have caused great damage to the German fleet, sinking a destroyer and two minesweepers. They have temporarily retreated."

"Retreating?"

"Yes, retreat."

"So what are you going to do next?"

"I will return to Dunkirk soon to continue commanding. The evacuation operation will continue, and the second wave of operations tonight is already being prepared." Ramsay promised, "I promise that the first batch of personnel will be back tomorrow."

"Very good." Churchill said, "I look forward to your good news."

"By the way, although what you said before was not good news, I do have good news for you. No matter what, you must hold on until the 29th at sea. By the 29th, three or four battleships from overseas will be able to return, and on June st, Hood will also be out!"

"Hood?!"

"Yes, I have communicated with the shipyard. Although some parts have not been completed completely, there will be no problem in completing the combat mission. She will come to Dunkirk immediately. You don't have to worry about the Tirpitz, but the premise is to hold on! Maritime traffic must not be disconnected!"

"I know! I promise there will be no problem before the 29th." Ramsay said confidently. It was already the morning of the 27th, less than twenty-four hours away from the time.

"Well, General Ramsay, good luck to you," Churchill said.

"Oh, and be careful of German night raids."

"Yes."

"Let's do this for now."

After hanging up the phone, Ramsey wiped his forehead with a guilty conscience, because he did not say that two or three of his destroyers sank because they hit his mines, and he put all the blame on the Air Force...

"Tell them to continue the meeting!"

"Yes!"

When Tirpitz led the fleet to retreat, the British fighter planes wisely did not pursue. Their goal was not to sink Tirpitz, but to stop this monster outside Dunkirk. Besides, the German Air Force was not a pushover. Instead of wasting precious air force combat power here and fighting with the German Air Force, it would be better to deploy them to seize air supremacy over Dunkirk.

So, after the last wave of attacks, Tirpitz successfully withdrew to Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland Province in southwestern Netherlands - which had been occupied by the German Army and became a forward base.

However, Tirpitz did not dock at the port, but directly anchored at a nearby anchorage - this was to facilitate quick maneuvering in case of any situation, and also for safety. After all, no one could predict whether there would be a sneak attack or something, so even if there was a mission, they would leave the port faster.

After anchoring, the crew began to urgently inspect the hull, count the various losses, and replace and repair parts at the same time - Tirpitz's hull was attacked by two planes and the damage was not small. At least the traces of fire on the hull were shocking.

Lindemann originally wanted to express his concern, but at this time their commanders were also very busy. Various battle statistics and predictions, as well as discussions about the next actions and coordination between the various services kept him busy. Earlier, Lütjens had contacted the Army Headquarters in Berlin, and soon Army personnel would board the ship in Middelburg to launch the first real joint meeting of the three services of the Navy, Army and Air Force.

"Forget it, forget it. Go and do your work. I'll take care of Grape!" Bismarck glanced at the embarrassed Lindemann and the aggrieved Tirpitz and smiled.

"Thank you for your help, Bismarck." Lindemann smiled and said, "I'll go to the conference room to set it up now. Tizi, I'll come to see you then."

"Well, sister, let's go back to the room. I'm in so much pain." Tizi nodded with tears in her eyes. As soon as she returned to the anchorage, she started her cute offensive, which made Bismarck feel very distressed.

"It's okay, it's just an external injury. You'll get used to it." Bismarck comforted her. "Sister's injuries are much more serious. It's okay. The pain will go away after a while."

"Let's go back to the room. I'll check it out for you later to see what's broken~" Bismarck said with a wicked smile, touching Tizi's long pink hair.

I don't know why, but Lindemann felt that Bismarck's smile was very evil. Maybe it was an illusion...

"Bismarck, remember to come to the conference room with Tizi later. I think there's something for you guys to do." He reminded before leaving.

"No problem, no problem!"

As soon as Lindemann left, Bismarck immediately took Tizi's hand.

"Let's go back."

Start a full body check! (Thick fog)

On the night of May 5, a fleet of torpedo boats approached the Tirpitz in the sea near Middelburg. A group of officers climbed onto the deck of the torpedo boat to repair and replenish ammunition. Soon, several officers pushed open the door and walked into the meeting room of the Tirpitz.

"Colonel Kurt Sturm (Colonel Rudolf Petersen), commander of the German Navy's 1st Torpedo Boat Squadron (2nd Torpedo Boat Squadron), reports in!" A pair of crisp military salutes.

"Colonel Hasso von Manteuffel, head of the German Army Liaison Group, leads the coordination team to report!" This person also saluted, and outside the door, the people brought by the army were busy moving maps, radios and other things into Tirpitz's operations room...

"Welcome!" Lindemann took the lead, and everyone else stood up and saluted the three colonels.

"I am the captain of the Tirpitz, Colonel Lindemann, commander of the temporary forward command post in Dunkirk. This time, the navy, army and air force are conducting a joint operation. We have a common enemy, and we must teach the British and French coalition forces a lesson!"

After some pleasantries and self-introductions, they began the formal meeting.

Looking at the many elite soldiers below, many of whom had ranks no lower than his, it was impossible for Lindemann to not be nervous, but...

"...It is our common honor to be able to participate in such a great action that will go down in history with you all!! I believe everyone is as excited as I am, so now we have to plan carefully how to teach the British and French coalition forces a painful lesson!!"

Bismarck felt that Lindemann's voice seemed a little abnormal, and she and Tizi were both covering their mouths and laughing in the audience.

So the war meeting began...

Colonel Manteuffel of the Army Coordination Group stood up and saluted first. At the same time, several Army staff officers behind him took out a map. Manteuffel watched his men open the map and said, "Let us report the situation first. Now our 43 divisions have surrounded the 40 divisions of the Allied Forces in Flanders. Our Army stopped attacking a few days ago. Although I don't know what those people in the upper echelons think, our situation was indeed not very good at the time. The British and French aircraft are very troublesome, and we broke through too quickly some time ago. The security of the rear is not very stable. Not to mention the disconnection between infantry and tanks, the loss of tanks has reached 50%, the ammunition supply is not very sufficient, and the combat command system was not straightened out at the time."

"However, in the past two days, we have managed to repair some tanks and accumulate some supplies. We have also initially stabilized our connection and defense with the rear. Now we can resume our attack! Now..."

He pointed at the opened map and said, "The British and French forces actually control a nearly 10-kilometer-wide coastline from Graveline, 15 kilometers west of Dunkirk, to Nieuwpoort, more than kilometers east of Dunkirk. Although there is no way to organize ships to dock in other places due to our artillery blockade, we can only retreat to the few kilometers around Dunkirk. In addition, the Belgian army on the right wing of Dunkirk, that is, the east, just surrendered today. I guess they are collectively surrendering their weapons and signing surrender documents now."

At this point, Manteuffel took a sip of water from his kettle to moisten his throat, and continued, "But the water network and swamp terrain in this area are extremely disgusting, and the most annoying thing is the French 16th Army that is defending on both sides, and the French First Army that is still dragging on the Lens-Lille line forty or fifty kilometers behind Dunkirk to support the evacuation of other British and French forces in the interior and serve as a rear guard! I don't know what's wrong with the French. They have no will to defend their own country. Now they are covering the British evacuation and fighting without giving up an inch of land... (French rearguard commander) Falgard, this bastard, if he falls into our hands, we will make him pay!"

The colonel spat viciously. (PS: In history, Lieutenant General Falgard, who risked his life to cover the British evacuation, was abandoned by the British on the Dunkirk beach along with his 40,000 rear guard troops. However, after being captured, the Germans did not treat him well and he was released within a few months. But the irony is that after the Allies fought back to France, Falgard, who was not hurt by the Germans, was actually liquidated by the ungrateful Allies...)

A group of soldiers gathered in front of the map and began to look at it. Although it was not a map of their own branch of the military, they were all professional officers and could at least understand the general idea. Not long after, Lindemann looked up and asked, "Does the Army mean to attack from the direction of the surrendered Belgians?"

"Yes." Manteuffel nodded. "Thanks to the supplies you sent to the convoy a few days ago, we have restored some of our combat effectiveness. This place currently belongs to General Reichenau's Sixth Army of Army Group B. In addition, in the opposite direction..."

He pointed the pointer in his hand at the town of Carcelle, just south of Dunkirk.

"This is the main attack point of Guderian's armored forces of Army Group A. Although the top leaders ordered a temporary halt to the attack a few days ago, the attack has actually never stopped. In addition, the follow-up troops of Army Group A have also arrived in the past two days..."