Bismarck

"Ah... yes! I will definitely act accordingly! I will never let down the Marshal!"

Kumets was startled, saluted and nodded quickly, and answered in a fawning manner.

"If you know what to do, then act now!" Raeder waved his hand impatiently. "Lütjens is probably radio silent. There has been no telegram contact, but they should have reached the mid-Atlantic by now. The two supply ships from Brest have also set off - they are disguised as Spanish merchant ships and will leave the Bay of Biscay through Spain's territorial waters..."

"I estimate that Lütjens and the supply ship will meet up in the Azores in a week at most. The British should start taking action at that time, so you must be ready within three days at the latest and then set sail directly! Perform well for me then! Not only for the navy, but also for yourself! - Do you understand?! If you understand, then go back to Tromsø (the northern Norwegian naval port) now!" Raeder said coldly, waving his hand impatiently, then lowered his head to flip through the documents on the table, and at the same time pressed the doorbell on the table to call the secretary.

"Yes! I understand! I'll go back right away!" Seeing this scene, Kumets knew that he should return to the Arctic Fleet. He saluted hurriedly and turned to walk away.

Just as he was about to leave, Redel's secretary walked in. Kumetz, who had just left the door, could still hear a faint voice behind him until the door was not closed. It was Marshal Redel saying something to his secretary:

"… Go and draft a telegram to Lütjens, using a sub-high-level code that can be queried, saying that the permissions promised in the last document No. XX-XXX (sent with the highest-level code) are still valid! Remember to be sincere… Bang!"

There was a bang in the dark corridor. Behind Kumets, the heavy door of Redel's office had completely closed.

Kumets, who had a silly look on his face in the office before, and who didn't know if he was really stupid or just pretending, stood silently as the door slammed shut. He looked back at the closed door, then slightly lowered his head to look at the general rank with two gold and silver stars on his shoulder, shrugged, shook his head helplessly, and continued to walk towards the corridor. His white and beardless face was a little uncertain, and it was unknown what he was thinking about.

After all, the Admiral of the Navy, who is of average height, doesn't like others to be taller than him, right...

(The epaulettes of German generals are gold-lined and silver-rimmed. Major generals have no stars, lieutenant generals have one star, generals have two stars, and major generals have three stars. Lütjens was a general in history and is now a major general, and Kumetz is a general)

ps: After the exam, I took a whole day of train ride home... I was so tired.

Chapter 686: Qiu Pangpang's Troubles

As the wartime Prime Minister of the British Empire, Churchill was very busy. Very busy...

Parliamentary inquiries, stabilizing public sentiment, war developments, diplomatic maneuvers...there is almost nothing that one doesn't have to worry about.

Not to mention that the British Empire was already on the decline. Even with the support of the United States, the main force of the Royal Navy was basically crippled, and a large amount of resources had to be withdrawn from the escort fleet to support those expensive capital ships to fight against the German ships. As a result, the escort fleet in the Atlantic could not be replenished and developed for a long time. It was God bless the Queen that there was no vicious cycle...

Even Churchill was well aware that even though his American father, to whom he was clinging, had declared war out of nothing, the label of the free world was being used to criticize it by many people who were skeptical of the war.

Although wartime military production still seemed to proceed in an orderly manner under the almost shameless coercion of federal law enforcement agencies represented by the FBI and private military forces such as the Pinkerton Detective Agency, it did ease the unemployment wave in the United States that had not been alleviated from 1937 to 1941.

However, in the Pacific Ocean, Japan has already stably controlled Guadalcanal, the main island of the Solomon Islands, and is forced to use its only four aircraft carriers to hold the battle situation in the face of the Japanese Navy's ten aircraft carriers and light carriers. The Atlantic Fleet also suffered heavy losses in Operation Support from the guns of the Lütjens fleet and the torpedo tubes of the Japanese Indian Ocean Squadron. Now, the attitude of the American people towards the war can be seen from the factory workshops that are always deliberately or unintentionally slowing down.

Of course, at least there is no shortage of people at the US recruitment stations. For example, the descendants of the 15 million black slaves, who are slaves to the core or something, do not try to fight against the racial discrimination that still exists and is even official in a country that claims to be a free world. Instead, they rush to the gates of the recruitment stations one by one, hoping to turn into bulldozers and squeeze into the army.

As for their future, they probably hold the mentality of "even if there is no credit, there is hard work, and even if there is no hard work, there is fatigue", and try their best to make a name for themselves - even if they cannot make it into the so-called upper class, at least they have to become a "dark-skinned white person", and serve as free cannon fodder in some suicide squad of a front-line unit, right?

The problem is, there are still black people available in the United States, but what about in the United Kingdom?

Of course, Marshal Auchinleck, the governor-general of the Middle East-India Joint Theater, had no shortage of Indian cannon fodder with blood to shed. However, the local area was in great need of people, especially skilled workers! And skilled workers were not just migrant workers who could only do hard labor, they had to have a certain cultural foundation and receive at least several years of training before they could become skilled workers.

The problem is that even in India, which has a population of hundreds of millions, there are only a few educated people, and the vast majority of them are Brahmins and Kshatriyas…

I have a headache...

Churchill couldn't help but bend his fat old waist, put his hands on his head and acted crazy.

but……

“Knock, knock, knock…Report!”

Hearing the knock on the door and the report, Churchill was startled: "Come in."

"Yes!"

"…Report to the Prime Minister, an urgent telegram for help has been sent from the Malta Fortress!"

Following the voice of the confidential secretary who walked into the gate, a report was quickly handed to Churchill. When Churchill heard that it was the Malta Fortress, he did not dare to neglect it. He put on his reading glasses and picked up the telegram to read it:

"...Under the tight blockade of the Italian Navy led by the Aquila aircraft carrier and the Veneto-class destroyers, no convoy has arrived in Malta for more than three months... The fuel and food reserves have been exhausted. Even if the fortress has implemented extremely strict food rationing, it is still unsustainable now... If no convoy arrives in Malta before early July, we will have to surrender to Italy..."

"…Tell them that Auchinleck is preparing for the next offensive in the Sinai Peninsula! The Malta Fortress is blocking the middle of the Mediterranean. As long as the port of Alexandria cannot be used, Malta can regain its strategic role, so it must not be lost!!" Churchill slapped the table with his fat pig's hoof, and roared with saliva flying:

"Write a reply and tell them that our fleet is currently intercepting Lütjens's fleet. We will be able to prepare an escort fleet to break the blockade by the end of June at the latest. We must hold out for the last five minutes!"

Seeing his prime minister like this, the secretary did not dare to neglect it and hurried downstairs to send a telegram. However, seeing the secretary trotting out of the office, the fat man "Ball", who was spitting all over the place, instantly collapsed on the back of the chair like a deflated ball.

----------

By the way, where is the Lütjens fleet now?

Although according to the schedule, estimated speed, and records of missing aircraft at the Ascension Island base and the US Natal Airport in Brazil, they should have secretly smuggled through the Mid-Atlantic waters, where there was a serious shortage of troops and combat effectiveness, three to five days ago, between May 30 and June 1, completing the second step of smuggling back to Europe from Africa.

It’s just… Although I know they have probably returned to the North Atlantic, where exactly are they…

Moreover, if Lütjens is not dealt with, there will be no way to defeat the Malta fortress in the Mediterranean!

After suffering enough damage from aircraft carriers in Taranto and Cape Matapan, and witnessing the importance of aircraft carriers as mobile airports in the Battle of El Alamein, Mussolini finally changed his mind and gave the green light all the way. The Italian Navy's Aquila aircraft carrier has been in service for more than half a year!

Unfortunately, the Royal Navy suffered heavy losses in front of the Lütjens fleet, and the Americans were unable to send the South Dakota, which was still under construction, and Britain's own Goliath-class aircraft carriers were not in service. The Royal Navy, which had only one Enemy, two King George Vs and two fleet tankers, had to beware of the sudden attack of the German Arctic Fleet. Facing the Italian fleet led by two Veneto-class destroyers under the cover of the Aquila aircraft carrier, there was simply not enough power to ensure the safety of the escort team!

After waiting for so long, the four Titans have finally been put into service, and the American allies have also sent four new South Dakota-class ships to form a combined fleet with the Home Fleet.

It seems that everything is moving in the right direction.

But... at this critical moment, Lütjens returned from the Indian Ocean!

Moreover, he returned with legendary deeds and glorious military exploits, including killing Admiral Somerville in Operation Support, directly breaking through the Cape of Good Hope Fortress on the way to breakout, executing Admiral Willis by cannon fire, and openly stealing two 10,000-ton tankers from the port as pirates...

Upon receiving the news, the First Sea Lord Cunningham and the Home Fleet Commander Tovey, who had finally received reinforcements and thought they could finally take a breath, followed him and went Sparta...

And Churchill also remembered that there was a Kumetz in the Arctic Ocean with average ability but strong military force!

However, according to Tovey and Cunningham's investigation, the South Dakota-class battleships that the Americans sent as reinforcements were new and were said to be equipped with 406mm main guns that were good at ceiling penetration and first-class vertical penetration, as well as fierce anti-aircraft firepower - 127mm VT fuze anti-aircraft guns, 40 Bofors, and 20 Oerlikon under the command of a modern fire control system integrated with gun-aiming radar, which could easily form a three-layer fire network!

but……

In terms of armor defense, it is somewhat unsatisfactory!

宣称重视垂直击穿的南达科他，水平装甲竟然只有蛐蛐60＃+5英寸——60＃可不是什么60毫米，而是60磅（一战前的旧制装甲厚度单位，60磅仅相当于38.1毫米。）

In addition, the main armor belt only has 307mm inclined internal armor - although in theory it can "jump" against large-angle shells, or at least provide the "converted thickness" of the inclined armor. However, this is at the expense of the reserve buoyancy of almost all anti-fish TDS tanks outside the entire main armored area - what's more, this class of battleships, like North Carolina, has four large through-tanks in the power compartment, and the settings of other internal compartments are also not ideal.

More importantly, although the vertical penetration of the main gun of this thing is terrifying, in order to achieve vertical penetration, it can only fire super-heavy shells with a maximum range of only 33.8 kilometers - based on past experience, it is not difficult for the cat and mouse sisters to hit South Dakota at this distance. If they fire 1016 kg conventional shells, the range can be extended to a normal level of more than 35 kilometers, but in that case, the penetration of the shells is not enough...

Most importantly, with Nan Pangke's short and fat body, the maximum speed is only 27 knots, which is only two knots faster than the giant-class light carrier! Although it could barely be considered a high-speed ship when it was originally designed, it can now only be used as a low-speed ship...

In short, although there are four more ships, they are actually four more crappy ones. But for now, we can only make do with them.

It’s really a headache…

----------

“Knock, knock, knock…Report!”

While Churchill was thinking, the secretary started knocking on the door again.

"What's wrong? Come in!" Churchill shouted angrily. The secretary, who obviously knew that the Prime Minister was in a bad mood, handed over another report with some trepidation:

"Mr. Prime Minister, I just received a report that the OB-133 convoy was attacked by a German submarine. Two submarines were sunk, but we lost seven merchant ships totaling tons, and also lost a destroyer..."

"Tsk... you're bullying me because we don't have any destroyers..."

Churchill rubbed his temple helplessly, waved his hand, and signaled the secretary to leave. Churchill ignored the secretary's expression of amnesty and continued to think about the war situation...

In order to counter Lütjens, the steel and equipment that were supposed to be used to build the escort fleet were now all used to build three Lion-class battleships, four Vengeance-class aircraft carriers, and four Royal Ark II-class supercarriers. The British Empire now needs the United States to help build even its escort ships...

For these ships, they had to once again ask the Americans for usury loans. Now, after selling everything they had, the total amount of war debt owed by Britain to the United States had increased from 1.5 billion pounds to 2 billion pounds!

But... thinking of the United States, Churchill glanced at a memorandum at hand - the US navy is also under pressure now!

After the Solomon Islands were lost, the US Pacific Fleet, which was outnumbered in terms of aircraft carrier numbers, was anxiously defending against continued attacks by the Japanese army, while also being somewhat exhausted in guarding the shipping line from Hawaii to Nauru...

Just to tell you a joke, in the Pacific Ocean now, Nimitz has already mastered the turtle back magic to the pinnacle! Then the counterattack against the Japanese attack has now been handed over to the submarines of General Lockwood, commander of the US Pacific Submarine Fleet, hoping that they can gradually strangle Japan's logistics line.

Moreover, it is said that these American submarines have openly begun to copy Dönitz's wolf pack tactics!

However, when Churchill thought of this, he always felt a little crazy because of the unintentional ridicule:

"...Damn it, isn't this just a disguised mockery of the British Empire's Royal Navy for not being able to even provide escort?!"

When people get upset, they will think about scratching their heads, even if Churchill has already turned himself into the Mediterranean Fleet...

Although, with the war progressing indefinitely, it is not easy for the British Empire to grit its teeth and hold on until now, relying on the American father and Indian cannon fodder...

"Knock, knock, knock... Report! Intelligence from MI6!"

Why are you knocking on the door again?

Damn it, is this going to end today?

"What's the matter! Come in!" Churchill was a little impatient! Can't there be less trouble? !

Hearing the Prime Minister's obviously impatient tone, the trembling secretary walked in cautiously and handed another piece of paper to the already frantic Churchill. Lord Churchill, whose patience had been exhausted by the troubles, grabbed it and scanned it with his bloodshot eyes:

"Intelligence analysis report..."

"...According to the intelligence provided by the French Communist underground resistance organization, after the German army imposed martial law in the port, they transported a batch of huge boxes onto two merchant ships, and the two merchant ships left the port in the early morning of May 5st, and their whereabouts are unknown. According to the intelligence obtained by the underground intelligence agents from various sources, it seems that there were dozens of fighter planes..."

"According to MI6's investigation, no country has purchased fighter jets from Germany recently. And considering the intensity of the war between the German Army and the Soviet Union, the German Army should not have any extra fighter jets to export to other countries..."

"In addition, according to the reconnaissance aircraft records forwarded by the Air Force and the Navy, around June 1, there were indeed two merchant ships traveling together along the northern coast of Spain, seemingly heading towards the Atlantic Ocean... Since no other country has purchased fighter jets from Germany, there is only one possibility: the recipient of these fighter jets should be the Lütjens Fleet, which returned from a long voyage with serious losses in its fighter jets!"

"In addition, according to intelligence from the Norwegian resistance organization, the German Arctic Fleet stationed in the port of Tromsø in northern Norway suddenly began to actively prepare to go out to sea, and judging from the amount of supplies being transported from the shore to the ship, it is obvious that they are preparing to go out to sea for a long time..."

"Lütjens broke through the Cape of Good Hope Fortress on the 21st and obtained sufficient fuel supplies. He then infiltrated the Mid-Atlantic Defense Line from about May 30th to June 1st... Today is June 3rd. Based on the fuel consumption of Lütjens' fleet at its most fuel-efficient cruising speed, it is determined that under normal circumstances he would have enough to return to France. However, based on the premise that the Germans sent two transport ships and Kumetz might go on a long voyage, MI6 initially judged that Raeder, with the main force of the navy gathered, is likely to make a big move!

The most likely tendency is that after Lütjens infiltrates the Mid-Atlantic defense line, based on his approximate location and the speed of the two German transport ships, he is likely to be resupplied in the neutral Portuguese waters around the Azores; it is expected that at the same time, or earlier - the distance from Tromsø to the GIUK defense line is about two days of combat cruising at 24 knots - so it is expected that about two days before their reunion, Kumetz's Arctic Fleet will also be dispatched in full force to attack the GIUK defense line. After distracting our attention and covering Lütjens's supply, the two fleets will enter the North Atlantic together! ...

Although based on the size of the German fleet, it is judged that they will return to the mainland after a period of operation. But it is not ruled out that they are cooperating with German submarines to threaten to severely damage our transportation lines, forcing the Allied fleet to reinforce the escort team, and then either join forces along the way or attack from both sides... In short, the possibility of the two major German fleets joining forces to severely damage or even annihilate the main force of the Allied fleet is still a possibility that cannot be ignored... MI6 Director, William Wyatt. "

After reading the report in his hand, Churchill's face was obviously a little gloomy, but such a situation seemed to have calmed him down. After pondering for a moment, as if he had thought of something, the pig king grinned and smiled very charmingly...

"If Lütjens needs a supply ship, it must be because their fuel and planes are probably weak inside! Opportunity is fleeting! As long as Lütjens is killed, Kumetz, that mediocre man, will not be able to do anything!... Go! Call the Admiralty immediately and call Cunningham and Tovey to a meeting!"

Chapter 687: The War-weary Figure

In June, the North Atlantic is covered by the Azores high pressure calm belt.

The sun was scorching on the hot and windless sea. The sailors, who had been shivering in thick coats in the strong winds and waves of the southern hemisphere's winter westerly circulation more than half a month ago, had collectively changed into loose tropical clothes. However, even so, the sultry climate still made the cabin filled with sweat and foot odor extremely stuffy. Coupled with the fact that there had been no enemy encounters for half a month, even the sailors had become a little listless and dejected.

Even in the sea far from land, various rules and regulations must be strictly followed. For example, in summer, it is time to change into different colored military uniforms. However, most of the formal military uniforms are still worn by senior officers. The officers and soldiers at the grassroots level wear whatever is comfortable for them, and there are not many requirements for clothing.

Lütjens had changed into a white summer officer's uniform, still looking dignified. The commander, who was usually serious, was now increasingly noticed to doze off when he sat at his desk in the command room because he was too bored.

In front of the window of the command room, the Persian cat was daydreaming out of boredom. He glanced at the seemingly endless and monotonous sea, then looked behind him - the captain was leaning back and taking a nap, and the bubbles in his nose were blowing out...

She couldn't help but laugh secretly.

Captain! Where is your dignity? !

The staff officers and sailors below were already a little bit amused. But Bismarck would not let them laugh at his captain! Then the sailors found that the captain's cat was staring at them fiercely. Several sailors looked embarrassed, lowered their heads, turned around, and turned away.

Well, it seems that my tiger-glaring technique is quite effective!

Xiao, the cat, gently wagged her tail, and smiled with narrowed eyes. But soon, she felt that her telegraph room seemed to have received some information.

Looking at the time, it's almost noon. At this time, it should be another enemy situation report...

The signalman came out with the telegram, looked at his captain who was still leaning on the chair, snoring softly and blowing bubbles with his nose, then looked at the secretary in front of him with a stern face. Although he wanted to laugh, he didn't dare to. He handed the telegram in his hand obediently to Secretary Bismarck, then ran away quickly with a guilty look on his face.

"Situation report... 1. The Arctic Fleet left Tromsø at 4:0 a.m. on the 2th, and will advance beyond the GIUK defense line to conduct North Atlantic commerce disruption... 450. Two 'Spanish merchant ships' were found approximately 240 kilometers west of the Azores, heading 3 degrees southwest of west, with a speed of ten knots. All units are requested to pay attention to their neutral country status... 4. The course and position of the British and American convoys currently in the North Atlantic have been reported... . All units are requested to pay attention to finding and identifying the Lütjens fleet, which is still maintaining radio silence..." Putting down the situation report in his hand, Bismarck, who had been in the navy with the captain for four or five years, thought about it and understood the contents of the telegram.

"That means the supply ship is west of the Azores. Then calculate our position and speed... That means we will meet the supply ship south of the Azores during the day on the 6th?"

Looking back at the captain who was still dozing off, Bismarck thought for a moment and did not wake him up. Instead, he gently placed the report on the table in front of the captain.

After all, there are still two days before they can rendezvous with the supply ship, so this matter is not too urgent, and you can report it later. Looking at the captain who is already snoring softly during his nap, the considerate ship cat decided to wake him up after his captain has rested well.

After all, her captain worked so hard, and as his battleship, she was also considerate...

----

June 6, 6:06, just after 60 seconds... The dawn was bright and cloudless over the Atlantic Ocean 600 kilometers south of the Azores. On this sea with three-foot waves even without wind, the four ship girls were looking around, waiting, looking forward to, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the transport ship.

After the Mid-Atlantic, it is the core sea area that must be guaranteed for the British and American Atlantic shipping routes.

The oil tankers that had been seized from the Cape of Good Hope and the transport ships that had carried supplies all the way to the Cape of Good Hope earlier, with a maximum speed of only 16 knots, could not keep up with the fleet's combat rhythm, and the addition of four ships made the fleet larger and more easily exposed. Therefore, after the supplies had been emptied, the last bit of fuel had been pumped out, and even the bottom of the oil tanks had been scraped clean, the four transport ships had now been abandoned.

However, even so, the entire voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to the Azores reached 11000 kilometers, or 16 nautical miles! Among the four ship girls, the Prinz Eugen, which has the smallest fuel capacity, has a maximum endurance of only 6500 knots and 42 nautical miles when fully loaded! In addition, the Zeppelin, which cannot be fully loaded with heavy fuel, must accelerate seven or eight times a day to launch patrol fighters and reconnaissance aircraft, which also consumes extra fuel. Even if Bismarck and Tirpitz refueled the other two sisters, the fuel of the entire fleet is only % left!

Although 42% of the fuel can still allow everyone to sail another 7000 kilometers under normal sailing conditions. However, although it is only more than kilometers away from the French coast, it is also only kilometers away from the UK! If the British fleet comes to intercept, this amount of fuel is only enough for the four sisters to sail at full speed for two and a half days-you know, the hull damage of Bismarck and Tizi has accumulated from the support operation to the current big breakout battle. There has been no time for thorough repairs! So the current full speed is only and a half knots! If the British fleet comes out to intercept, plus the Bay of Biscay is not spacious, it is not enough to get rid of the British with a minimum speed of knots!

Moreover, the fleet's current consumption is also very large. Although there is still a base number of main gun shells, the ammunition for the 150 secondary guns, 105 anti-aircraft guns and 37 anti-aircraft guns is also above 85%, but the ammunition for the 50 anti-aircraft guns is only a little more than 70%.

And the most important thing is that when they were at the Cape of Good Hope, the strength of the British Home Fleet was not enough to be feared. However, now with the commissioning of four giant-class ships and the reinforcement of four American battleships, the British Home Fleet - no, now it should be called the Allied Combined Fleet - has a powerful strength of six battleships and five aircraft carriers.

Of all the aircraft on the Zeppelin, only six JU87s, which were mostly used for reconnaissance and electronic jamming, and forty-five fighters remained! According to the intelligence provided by Raeder - if what Raeder said was true, then the Allied Forces' one Enmity-class armored aircraft carrier and four Giant-class light aircraft carriers combined, the full complement of aircraft reached !

There are 72 grudge ships and 37 each of the four giant-class ships.