Bismarck

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While Cunningham, Fraser, Auchinleck and others were chatting about the war situation at the afternoon tea table, the final preparations were being made on Socotra Island.

The submarines that were previously scattered in the Arabian Sea and the East African coastline have returned to the port for replenishment. After being filled with diesel, torpedoes, fresh water and food, they have also evacuated the island in dispersed ways.

Although the transport ships and auxiliary cruisers had been bombed in the past few days and several merchant ships had been destroyed, the remaining five high-speed transport ships had already made all preparations. At the same time, the evacuation of the military camps, warehouses and airports on the shore was also complete, except for the last batch of people left behind.

On the evening of April 25th, at six o'clock, there were only ninety hours left before the order to break out was issued.

The sun had already set, and the moon in the sky was hanging on the horizon above the waterline. Some of the wreckage of the merchant ships destroyed in the port were still emitting faint blue smoke. On the runway of the airport, the remaining dozen BF-110 fighters had already formed a take-off formation on the flight deck, ready to take off at any time to cover the transport ship's departure and stand guard for their last shift.

Five high-speed transport ships, taking advantage of the cover of night, raised their anchors, bid farewell to their battleships without even sounding whistles or lighting signals, and quietly left the island in the Indian Ocean that had made the Allies feel uneasy for the past few months.

The only four battleships left in the harbor now were the Bismarck, Tirpitz, Zeppelin, and Prinz Eugen, which was patrolling near the harbor, keeping watch for possible enemy submarine activity and for the garrison that was about to be abandoned and the evacuating transport ships.

At this moment, they could not evacuate - even though the Socotra Island Garrison had been completely abandoned, and all the ground crew and spare parts at the airport had been collected. However, in order to protect the transport ships that had a maximum speed of only 16 or 17 knots and could not travel 700 kilometers in 24 hours, they had to stay as far away as possible until they saw off the British Royal Air Force bombers that would most likely come for a "routine inspection" at night.

It’s not that they can’t evacuate together, but the main reason for staying here is to delay the time when the British discover that they are starting to retreat, so that the merchant fleet can gain as much time as possible and run a little further.

If they were short of supplies and wanted to break through, the stock of logistical materials was the key. Then the British would definitely send a fleet to set up a blockade and destroy their transport ships as much as possible.

The British cruisers can travel at speeds of over 32 knots, and even the old battleships are much faster than the transport ships. Although theoretically, with the speed of the transport fleet, it would only take less than three days to reach the protection of the Maldives Islands occupied by the Japanese army, which is an alliance with Germany.

but……

If the British wanted to intercept the transport ships, they could attack from both the Indian mainland and the West African island bases, and even if they set up a blockade, it would only take a day.

So, now is the time to delay as much as possible...

On the bridge of the battleship Bismarck, the flagship of the Eastern Expeditionary Fleet. Feeling the south wind blowing in his face, Bismarck, standing beside his captain, looked at the huge shadow of the island in front of him in the night with some reluctance...

After all, this is where I, my captain, and everyone else worked so hard to build this base...

Although it was only a short time, Bismarck had already regarded this place as his home, and the sadness of parting still came over him.

"I'm a little reluctant to leave here, Captain, what do you think?"

"Yeah... but there's nothing we can do. We're running out of ammunition and reinforcements here, so we have to break out as soon as possible."

Lütjens nodded silently, sighed softly, and lowered the brim of his hat a little bit. However, this subtle movement was seen by Bismarck beside him.

In fact, the captain was reluctant to leave this place...

She looked at her captain, then lowered her head to look at the small room on the main body, where there were several packets of dragon blood tree powder that she had carefully wrapped. This was bought from the poor islanders when she was playing on the island - she heard from the islanders that applying this thing on the face can beautify the skin, so she thought of buying it for Lily for beauty.

And what they paid for these things was not even money, but just a few large bottles of drinking water and a few bags of military dry food.

It seems that the islanders originally relied on a few small streams and puddles to make a living on this barren island, fishing and grazing, and the only things they could use to exchange for external supplies were things like this...

“It’s not easy for the people here…”

Bismarck was mumbling to himself in a low mood.

Because they didn't want to leave, but were forced to leave, so they couldn't help feeling angry.

The strength of the British and Americans was getting stronger and stronger, far beyond their imagination. She and Zeppelin had been fighting very hard, but it seemed that the opponent could never be defeated. After knocking one down, another would quickly stand up again, and they didn't even have basic supplies.

What to do next?

After being driven away this time, what will happen next? Will this happen more and more often?

Bismarck could not help but think of this. If he was chased by others in the future, his life of wandering would be very miserable.

"Alas, I don't know what will happen in the future..."

Bismarck muttered softly to himself.

Lütjens seemed to have heard this.

"Um...what's wrong? What were you talking about?"

"Ah...it's nothing, it's nothing."

Bismarck suddenly felt a little panicked. Although this was what he was thinking in his heart, it would be bad if the captain heard it... He was a soldier and would not let the people under him have any wavering thoughts.

He quickly waved his hands and covered the matter up.

As a girl, I always have some girlish thoughts about the passing of time...but the captain is the type of person who sticks to it and never gives up.

If he knew I was mumbling this thought, he would probably beat me...

However, Eugen's voice came through the WIFI:

"Sister Bismarck. Sister Zeppelin. The British planes are finally here..."

"Understood. I will order the BF-110 to take off and intercept them." Zeppelin's voice was as calm as ever, which suddenly made Bismarck feel at ease.

"Oh... okay, okay, I got it..."

Bismarck, who was still thinking, had to come back to his senses - the British planes were coming. But this also meant that he was finally leaving this place.

As long as we repel these bombers, blow up these planes that have diligently completed their last shift, and pick up the pilots of the BF-110 that have landed for the last time, it will be time for us to set off and leave this place.

Although, she always felt that being driven away was a terrible feeling.

"I don't know if there will be a chance to come back in the future..."

Bismarck shook her head fiercely. She used her military habits to force herself to adjust her mood. While reporting the situation to her captain, she looked at a small room on her body at her feet. The packets of dragon blood tree powder were quietly lying in a small box in the room.

Bismarck decided in his heart that he would keep a small packet of the dragon blood tree powder for himself as a souvenir... to commemorate this isolated, impoverished island outside the Somali Cape at the easternmost tip of the African continent, which seemed like alien territory. Compared to this world full of war and gunpowder, this peaceful island could be considered a peaceful and tranquil land...

Chapter 642: The Disappearing Submarine

April 26, 1942, was also a busy day for the world.

In order to minimize the logistical strength of Lütjens' fleet and to track the Germans, a team of bombers took off from the airport in Aden Port, Yemen, early in the morning and headed towards the Socotra Island Garrison nearly a thousand kilometers away.

However, this time they were a step late...

When the British captain, with a shudder of fear and a horrified MMP, shouted at the top of his lungs in the Allied public channel that the German fleet on Socotra Island had been deserted, the entire Allied Indian Ocean theater was instantly in an uproar!

"What? Lütjens ran away?"

In order to prepare for the upcoming counterattack, Auchinleck came to the front line of the Sinai Peninsula to personally supervise the battle. As soon as he got off the plane, a staff member ran over and reported the news to him.

Auchinleck was confused, and suddenly felt that things were changing...

Think about the Battle of El Alamein more than half a year ago, when he led an army of 120,000 to fight Rommel's 12,000 men, but was still driven into El Alamein under the bombardment of Lütjens's warships and was eventually killed! And now, only half a year has passed, and Lütjens is going to run away?

Where is the heroic appearance of those days?

"It's true that fortunes change over time... But this is a good sign! It looks like we should be able to win this time." Auchinleck, who was always relaxed and calm, shrugged and said with a calm smile, "Forget about him, let's prepare for our counterattack in the Sinai Peninsula. The commander on the opposite side is the Italian Crown Prince Umberto II. Although he is not very capable and couldn't even take down the surrendered Maginot Line with 300,000 people two years ago, at least he will not be short of resources..."

As he was talking, Auchinleck calmly got into the car that came to greet him...

At the same time, in Goa Harbor, Admiral Fraser, who had just taken office, clenched his fists and lectured his men:

"That old devil Lütjens is finally escaping! According to the Air Force's speculation, he has at least five transport ships! In addition, a submarine has also broken through! We have four escort aircraft carriers patrolling the blockade line in the Indian Ocean, and we have already captured two of their submarines! If we can even capture the submarines, we will be able to capture their disguised attack ships even more!"

"...Now, I order the search fleet to go out...If you find the Lütjens fleet, track and harass them as much as possible! They have no supplies, and we will fight them as soon as we see them, and sooner or later we will wear them out at sea...In addition, apart from our escort fleet, as long as we find any lone merchant ship, regardless of nationality, we will demand to board and inspect them! If there is any resistance, we will sink it on the spot!"

"...This battle is not only to prevent Lütjens and his evil ship girl from returning to the North Atlantic, but also to avenge Admiral Somerville! - Do you understand?!"

"Got it! We have to avenge Admiral Summerville!"

In the British headquarters, the officers roared with anger for revenge! Soon, one after another, British and American warships began to weigh anchor and set sail from the port of Goa...

At this time in the Indian Ocean, four ship girls and five auxiliary cruisers were sailing at a speed of sixteen knots.

"Captain, a telegram from the Japanese!"

"…Um?"

Lütjens, who was contemplating the sea chart, was called back to his senses by his own secretary ship. As soon as he turned around, he saw a telegram being handed to his nose...

"…We have received your message about your upcoming breakout a few days ago, and have already informed our headquarters for decision-making…Unfortunately, we suffered losses in the interception battle a few days ago, and our fleet is currently unable to fight…But in the spirit of alliance, we will definitely cooperate with your fleet's actions! Whether it is passing through our occupied islands, providing air support, or providing intelligence, we will do our best…Respectfully presented by Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa…Hmm…"

After reading the telegram in his hand, Lütjens pondered for a moment, then handed the telegram to his secretary: "Put it away for storage first... Forget it, just put it on my desk. Maybe we will need it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? Isn't it today?" Bismarck winked playfully: "Captain, it's already past midnight! It's already the 27th."

Hearing his secretary's witty remarks, the confused Lütjens turned around and looked at the wall clock. Sure enough, the time displayed on it was no longer April 26th, but midnight on April 27th.

"A day has already passed? Time flies so fast..."

"Yes, Captain, you have been staring at the chart for a whole day! You haven't had dinner yet." Bismarck rolled his eyes in annoyance, put his hands on his waist, puffed his cheeks, and stared at his captain with a dark face: "Captain! Let's eat!"

Being stared at "viciously" by his own ship cat, Lütjens inexplicably felt a little guilty...

Five minutes later, Lütjens, who still did not leave the chart table, finally could not escape the disaster. The impatient Bismarck forced him to eat a large hamburger with sausage slices and sauerkraut - and it had even been reheated!

"Humph! You're not going to say you were too busy planning the battle and didn't have time to eat, are you? Slow down, slow down, don't choke. Come on, take a sip..."

Seeing the captain swallowing the hamburger with some difficulty, a certain ship girl who had successfully changed her job to become a housekeeper and cook grumbled unhappily while pouring a glass of beer for her captain - well, it was the kind brewed with barley, which was not intoxicating but went well with rice, the kind of light sweet beer that was used in German cuisine to go with rice...

After swallowing the hamburger with great difficulty, he took the towel handed to him by Bismarck and wiped his mouth. Then, without even putting the towel down, his secretary cat handed him a glass of light beer. Lütjens felt a little amused in his heart.

This girl prepared something for herself... should it be called dinner or midnight snack at this time? A hamburger with pickled cabbage and sausage and beer? It was even reheated...

Well, at least it tastes better than just chewing bread.

However, this might be the last time I can eat something good in the next few days...

Lütjens, who had eaten and drunk his fill, was full of worry, but he did not show it on his face. Instead, he waited until his secretary, who was wearing a rag and gloves, had finished cleaning the table before he asked, "Bismarck, is there any new situation?"

"Well... Captain, there is a situation. Two submarines did not send any communications during the prescribed communication cycle. Now it is the second communication cycle but no messages have been sent. It seems very likely that they have encountered the British and American search fleet..." Bismarck thought for a while and reported.

Submarines of this era mainly sailed and fought on the surface. Moreover, because the German submarines were small in size, the power of the batteries and the oxygen storage capacity of the oxygen cylinders were very limited. Even if the speed was reduced as much as possible, the time they could stay underwater was generally less than 24 hours - unless they were besieged by the enemy, otherwise they would try to surface as much as possible if they had the chance. Even if they could not surface directly, they would extend the snorkel and passive radar detection antenna at the depth of the periscope to ensure the observation of the enemy situation on the sea surface and the transmission and reception of radio intelligence.

According to the breakout plan before the breakout, the submarine should send a telegram every twelve hours to report safety. But now it has been twenty-four hours, and there is no movement from two submarines - obviously, these two submarines have encountered great trouble, and may even have been killed.

This area is all vast ocean, and the only thing capable of searching and hunting submarines over such a wide area is...

"There is no reply after the contact period... As expected, they have indeed set up a blockade, and... although according to intelligence, they do not have any aircraft carriers capable of combat in the Indian Ocean, and it should be too late to temporarily mobilize aircraft carriers for reinforcement, but... they have at least several escort aircraft carriers..." Lütjens frowned, and a worried look began to appear on his face. After thinking for a while, he turned to Bismarck again: "Bismarck! Order Zeppelin to launch radar reconnaissance aircraft and night fighters to search the surrounding waters. We must prepare to break through their blockade."

"Well! I'll tell Zeppelin right away!" Bismarck replied, and was about to turn on the WiFi. But at this time, the captain seemed to have thought of something and called Bismarck again:

"…By the way, tell Lindemann, Bonte and Top that we still don't know whether they have urgently dispatched an aircraft carrier - although it won't be so fast, we still can't be careless! Tell Zeppelin to arrange air defense patrols and emergency squadrons! Then ask Grape to monitor and decipher their communications, and the entire fleet should be prepared for air defense! I don't want to be attacked by surprise without knowing it."

"Understood!"

Seeing the solemn expression on his captain's face, Bismarck nodded vigorously, and then began to notify his other three sisters via WIFI. Soon, the Zeppelin aircraft carrier, which received the order, began to speed up towards the direction of Prinz Eugen, turning on the dim night lights on the flight deck. Not long after, under the escort of the Prinz Eugen, the Zeppelin, which had accelerated to more than 87 knots, left the formation and turned to the direction against the wind to release more than a dozen aircraft - there were night fighters with airborne radar pods, and there were also JU-s with relatively large search radar pods to perform reconnaissance missions.

Not long after, as expected...

"Bismarck! This is Zeppelin! Tell the commander! Our night fighters just encountered the British Fulmar night combat reconnaissance aircraft! Now they are engaged in battle!"

When Bismarck reported the Zeppelin battle report received on WIFI to Lütjens, both of them looked very interesting...

Chapter 643: Unsmooth Start

Lütjens's brows became more and more furrowed.

Now it was only one day since they started to break out. And with the auxiliary cruiser at a speed of 16 knots, they had only traveled 700 kilometers. At this time, a British reconnaissance plane appeared in Zhou Jiujiu, which was definitely not good news for the German fleet that was trying to break out.

Moreover, the real key is actually those transport ships that cannot guarantee their own safety even in front of enemy escort carriers and destroyers.

If it was just the Ship Girls, they could actually ignore this blockade if they wanted to escape. But...

It was at least 20,000 to 30,000 kilometers from here to the German mainland. Even if the German warships had a very long range in order to break up the fighting, it was definitely not enough. At the same time, they had to supply some fuel to the Zeppelin, which was overloaded with aviation gasoline, which further limited their range.

With the 7,000-ton fuel capacity of the Bismarck and Tirpitz, they could originally travel 9,300 nautical miles at 16 knots, but now they can only travel about 6,000 to 7,000 nautical miles. Although, this endurance is similar to that of the Prinz Eugen, so there is no need to calculate the difference in resupply cycles...

Moreover, Britain and the United States would definitely not want to let them return to their homeland safely. Not to mention that they have already encountered the interception line, and the harassment and pursuit that will definitely be inevitable in the long journey ahead. Now anyone can say with certainty that in the last section of this long and unpredictable breakout route - although it is very close to their homes, it is also the North Atlantic at the doorstep of Britain and the United States. There will definitely be a strong enemy fleet waiting for them at the last section of the doorstep, with their arms folded and their faces unfriendly - just waiting for them to catch them in a fierce battle at the end of this route, when they are at their weakest.

If one more transport ship could successfully break through, there would be more hope in the final breakout battle in the North Atlantic. Even if they could not provide full escort, they could at least escort them to a relatively safe sea area far away from the first blockade line of the Allies - for example, the Japanese-occupied Maldives Islands, 1500 kilometers ahead of them, would be a good interception line.

However... in order to protect the only five armed merchant ships, he had to artificially reduce the fleet's speed to 16 knots. Even though the enemy fleet was not very powerful, he was tied to the transport team and had no initiative at all...

In any battle, the initiative is very important. The party with the initiative can not only freely choose the time and place of attack and even the attack posture, but also has an almost absolute first-mover advantage. In addition, he must be tied to the transport ship, it is difficult to passively fight and it is almost impossible to pursue and expel the passive posture. It is basically certain that once the enemy ship launches an attack, he will definitely fall into a passive position.

Wait…why does it feel like something is wrong…?

Come to think of it… In the interception operation a week ago, wasn’t it because of the initiative that I was able to make the Allied fleet, which had a huge advantage in manpower with more than a dozen battleships, run around in circles, and even killed Somerville…

Why do I always feel like I've done too many bad things, so I'm about to get my comeuppance in this life...

Lütjens wiped his face with self-mockery, thought about the battle situation, and then said to Bismarck, who had been standing beside him, waiting for his further orders: "...It's night now. Their night combat capability and firepower range are not as good as yours. Moreover, their previous losses must have been considerable. It is estimated that the escort carriers coming now are at most the ones setting up a cordon... Bismarck, tell Zeppelin that the enemy is likely to have only escort carriers. While we are not completely passive now, immediately prepare a night attack team. It doesn't need too many people, but only those who can preemptively destroy their escort carriers. Ask her to lead the team personally and set off immediately."

There was fatigue in Lütjens' tone that was hard to hide.

"I understand." Bismarck looked at him seriously for a while, then nodded and responded firmly, and then began to send his captain's instructions to Zeppelin using tactical codes through the sisters' WIFI.

After all, she knew very well that the war situation was so bad that she could only rely on tactical means to gain a certain advantage as much as possible - and she would take down as many enemies as possible.