Bismarck

The ashamed subordinates turned around to organize an interception, but Lütjens, who seemed as steady as an old hook, was not at peace. Looking at the clock on the wall at four in the morning and thinking about the "ending" that his own ship cat had said, he was actually panicking.

The road seems to be getting narrower and narrower...

Lütjens, who was heavy-hearted, couldn't help but turn his head back and take a look at the devastated sea.

The billowing black smoke was filled with the rustling sea breeze, and the blazing flames dyed the vast night sky red. The wounded warship lay there lifeless and unresponsive, feeling sad and confused for the loss of its captain...

-----

A few kilometers away, in the bottom hold of the battleship Tirpitz, a steel coffin grew out from the floor of the warship, and Lindemann was placed inside.

A blood-stained white cloth was gently held by the sobbing Tirpitz, and slowly covered on Lindemann's cold body, covering his pale face.

Standing behind her, Bismarck, Zeppelin and Prince Eugen looked at each other silently, standing quietly by the side, looking at Tirpitz who was already somewhat collapsed and a little crazy in front of them.

As soon as the enemy's air raid ended, she hysterically dragged her military chaplain over, prayed hastily, and then personally brought the body of her captain to the bottom cabin of the battleship, to the small room that had originally been her boudoir, and buried it solemnly.

The grief-stricken hamster girl silently refused her sisters' help and did everything by herself from beginning to end - whether it was dragging the priest over to pray, or carrying away the body and burying it, she did it all by herself, sobbing and clumsily doing it.

Dressed in black, she used her persistence to restrain Lindemann, and then she lay beside the coffin, sobbing and saying nothing, as if she had closed her heart and only wanted to preserve this final tribute to Lindemann.

The colors of the girl's boudoir seemed to reflect her mood. The pink bottom cabin, which was originally full of mischievous style, has now become a gray-black mourning hall representing mourning, sadness and hatred.

In such a colorless room, there is only one figure dressed in black. Even the originally cute and playful pink mouse hair on her head, which is the projection of the battleship's soul, has now turned gray and pale.

Looking at his sister's grief, Bismarck opened his mouth but could not utter any words of comfort.

As her elder sister, she stood by and watched her every move.

In the war, how could Bismarck feel good about the separation of life and death that happened in front of his face, and the person he was dealing with was his "brother-in-law"?

Not only her, Eugen beside her pulled up his sleeve, hiding half of his face behind her shoulder, secretly wiping away tears, and it was unknown if it was because the scene reminded him of what happened between her and Top.

On the other side, although Zeppelin always showed a cold face like a queen, but now that her sister was sad, she couldn't help the softness in her heart and turned away directly. She would rather stare at the wall than see Tirpitz's sadness.

After so many years of war, including Bontai who almost died in the Battle of Bermuda Fortress, coming and going, life and death, and seeing and hearing everything, how could she have few scars in her heart?

Be it their own captain, Bontai or Top, they have all been comrades for many years. How could they not know the feelings they have developed through life and death battles with each other?

As the eldest sister among the four, Bismarck could see that in addition to the sadness of losing the most important person in Tirpitz's heart, there was also a kind of anger and madness that was not obvious but was suppressed like a volcano on the eve of an eruption!

After all, Lindemann’s sacrifice was due to the provocation of the opponent’s aircraft carrier girl, who killed him in front of Tirpitz!

From another perspective, if something like this happened to your own captain, your reaction would probably be... right?

However, at this time, as if they had received a signal from the main body, the three ship girls were all stunned.

"What? At this time, the damn British bombers are coming again...?"

We looked at each other with bitterness and helplessness, and there was no way to continue comforting each other.

We are still in danger. The enemy is bombing us and chasing us. We can only be safe if we return to the port.

Everyone is seriously injured and has to tow the dying aircraft carrier. Now they are the only ones who can continue fighting!

After the three of them looked at each other, Zeppelin and Eugen looked at Bismarck.

Lindemann's memorial service was halfway through when her grief had to be interrupted because the enemy attacked again. Although it was inappropriate to take her with him to continue the battle, there was no choice on the ruthless battlefield.

Only as the biological sister, she is suitable to say goodbye to Tizi in such a way that she has to say goodbye to him temporarily.

"Tizi, the British are here again, we..."

Looking at Tizi who continued to lie on the coffin, seemingly paying no attention to the outside world, Bismarck stretched out her hand halfway, but could not stretch it out any further. Even the words she wanted to say were tied up in her throat halfway through.

"Okay, then you take your time. Let us handle this air raid..."

The girl did not stand up, nor did she make any movement or speech, she just lay there with a dead heart. Only a bunch of hair on her head trembled slightly, as if to signal her three sisters to leave.

Seeing his sister's heartbroken look, Bismarck, who was also feeling bad, put down his hand, shook his head, and sighed quietly in his heart. Behind her, the seemingly strong Zeppelin turned around again, unable to bear to see Grape's sadness. And Eugen, with tears in his eyes, also clasped his hands in front of his chest, as if he was praying for Lindemann who had returned to Valhalla.

The flames of war approached once again, and the wounded fleet could only grit their teeth and hold on. No matter what the reason was, there was no way out now. Although the three ship girls were also very upset, they could only let go of their worries and return to their positions to continue fighting.

Under the cold moonlight, only faint sobbing remained in the deepest hold of the devastated Tirpitz.

From now on, no one will pry open my door every day, or drag me under the covers to go to training.

From now on, no one would save money, even under the wartime rationing system, everyone had to prepare snacks for themselves.

From now on, no one will pamper me like this, or comfort me or say nice things to me when I get into trouble.

From now on, there will be no more...

In the empty room, the girl who pretended to be strong finally couldn't suppress her thoughts anymore, and tears of sadness burst out:

“Lindemann… wuuuuuu… wuuuuuu… ahhhhhhh!”

The deep-sea girl in black was crying alone in the dark bottom of the cabin, like a dark bride embracing despair at the bottom of the pitch-black abyss.

Chapter 860: Tsk, Lindeman, you are cold

At 1943:1 in the morning on January 1, , the cold waning moon hanging in the west finally turned pale in the east.

Located west of the port of Brest, less than thirty nautical miles from the European continent, the German naval fleet, which had suffered heavy losses and had an average speed of only sixteen knots, finally reunited with the ocean-going tugboat reinforcements from the mainland and the six "large torpedo boats (small destroyers of 600-1000 tons)" that escorted the tugboat after suffering two more rounds of air attacks.

However, by this time, the two Europa-class aircraft carriers and two pocket battleships that they were originally scheduled to tow had all been declared dead due to serious injuries. The object they were towing also became the Prinz Eugen, who had also used himself as a shield to intercept missiles many times during the air raid to protect the last aircraft carrier Zeppelin, and was also dying.

As well as the remaining large battleships, including the flagship battleship Bismarck, which were also scarred and bloodstained.

"Huh, I finally came back alive..."

On the top of the bridge of the Bismarck battleship, which was being towed crookedly by the tugboat, with the sea breeze at dawn that seemed to bring a hint of clarity, and looking at the ridgeline of the European continent vaguely visible in the dim light of dawn ahead, Lütjens took out a cigarette case and lighter with a silent expression, took out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep puff, and then let out a long breath.

This battle was so brutal...

At 3:20, the fleet, which had a chance to escape unscathed, suffered heavy losses under the joint air attack of three American warships. Especially the Europa-class aircraft carriers, which were originally converted from civilian ships, had inherent deficiencies in defense and strength. Although they had been equipped with a relatively moderate level of protection during the initial conversion, which prevented them from sinking on the spot after the US air strike, they were still seriously injured and dying.

But in fact, the Europa class had also suffered some such injuries in the previous naval battles. If it could be towed back, there was hope that it could be repaired and continue to serve.

However, this time, the enemy the German Navy faced was far more than just the British Navy...

The air strike from the British mainland at around 88 o'clock, with more than heavy bombers, was a severe challenge for the German fleet, which was almost damaged and dragging each other, making it difficult to form an air defense formation. Although Zeppelin led the remaining eight fighters to desperately cover the less than intercepting heavy fighters coming from the mainland - two-thirds of which were modified from JU- bombers, he was only able to barely disperse the bomber group before the enemy entered the bombing range.

However, the missiles fired by the remaining heavy bombers, which were scattered but not completely disbanded, happened to form a wide "attack fan", and the German fleet on the sea not only suffered heavy losses, but also had to support and drag each other to form an unformed air defense formation, not to mention the blazing fires on the ships, which were like bright torches, so dazzling in the darkest night before dawn - even the jamming bomb barrage that was like a night of fireworks could no longer cover up the seriously injured bodies with billowing heat waves and thick smoke...

The two pocket battleships, the already dying Lützow and the severely injured Admiral Scheer, were sunk on the spot in this round of air raids! The already dying aircraft carriers Europa and Bremen were hit by more than three additional hits each, and even the Hindenburg and Ludendorff, which were towing them, were hit by several rounds, so they had to give up treatment.

To make matters worse, just one hour after the air raid at about four o'clock, at about five-thirty, the second wave of attack aircraft rushed over from the direction of the US fleet - thirty-six missile bombers and twenty-four fighter jets. With the two remaining aircraft carriers and a light carrier of the Tovey fleet on the other side leading the way and a total of eighty fighter jets, they were once again severely "stabbed in the back" by Britain and the United States!

Although there are only thirty-six missiles, all of them are guided by the KanColle and can ignore electronic interference!

Moreover, this time the Allied fleet did not have McCampbell, a pervert who could rival Zeppelin, but with the absolute numerical advantage of hundreds of fighters, even if Zeppelin personally led the last few fighters - and the pilots on them were almost all great aces with more than 50 kills, and even the few remaining super aces with more than 100 kills were all deployed this time, and there was also support from the increasingly approaching Brest Fortress aircraft, but there was no more that could be done...

At such a critical moment, it was thanks to Lütjens's calmness in judging that the target of the British and American Allied bombers was still Zeppelin, and then he surrounded the remaining three ship girls tightly around the Zeppelin and protected her tightly, even at the cost of his own life. Only then was the Zeppelin finally protected from this round of "supplementary shooting" - although Zeppelin was eventually hit by two missiles, such injuries were still within the range that she could endure.

Fortunately, in this round of air strikes at 5:30, the British Cornwall Air Force Base, which posed the greatest threat, was not deployed!

After the air raid at four o'clock, the German bomber unit stationed in Brest, under the personal attention and intervention of Goering, intercepted the identification frequency of the opponent's IFF, and then "had an idea" to take advantage of the Allied Air Force's underestimation of the enemy after a night of favorable battles. They sent a group of bombers and heavy fighters to "blend in" at the back of the team when the Allied bomber group returned, and then bombed several airports at the British Cornwall base across the Channel by surprise. If they had caught them off guard, it would have been really disastrous.

Even so, in the sea breeze at dawn, the three aircraft carriers, five battleships and battlecruisers, two pocket battleships, one heavy cruiser, and eight destroyers that had been dispatched before - the entire main force of the German war navy - now only had one aircraft carrier, one heavy cruiser, and three destroyers left, and each of them was seriously injured! Only the five battleships and battlecruisers, relying on their heavy armor and solid structural strength, as well as the internal armored compartments unique to German battleships, could barely guarantee a certain degree of navigation ability - they even had the spare capacity to tow the severely injured Zeppelin aircraft carrier and Prinz Eugen heavy cruiser.

As for the three carrier-based aircraft wings on the three aircraft carriers, the two fighter wings JG-2 and JG-5 of the Brest Fortress, and the night fighters, they also suffered heavy losses - especially the three carrier-based aircraft wings, whose aircraft were almost completely destroyed! It was only because the German aircraft carriers, even though they were converted from cruise ships, still took into account certain protection and damage control capabilities that they were able to gain enough time to transfer the vast majority of the surviving pilots - about 60% of all pilots - out.

But no matter what, the main fleet of the German Kriegsmarine was completely crippled this time!

Even if the enemy on the other side was the combined British and American fleet and the main force of the British Royal Air Force; even if after the naval battle, the enemy was also hit by the missiles of the German fleet and sank four armored aircraft carriers and five light aircraft carriers, and three American aircraft carriers were damaged; even if the Allied navy and air force on the other side lost more aircraft than their own side, I am afraid that the number of aircraft lost would be even more tragic...

However, Britain and the United States have more resources and can continue to produce aircraft, build warships, and train pilots. But what about us?

Just considering the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Moscow at the beginning of the month, it seems that we are still being chased by the Russian tanks that are overwhelming us all the way westward, right?

There is such a big hole on the Eastern Front that needs to be replenished, and the Eastern Front battlefield is the real top priority. How many resources can be used to replenish the navy?

Especially, before the expedition, I heard a lot of "historical" things from my "time-traveling ship girl"...

The reality of the defeat in Maicheng turned into a heavy premonition of the country's destruction and the family's demise, which weighed heavily on Lütjens' heart.

"Will the Empire really be defeated... And, Lily..."

The cold sea breeze blew on his body, and even though he was tightly wrapped in a thick general's windbreaker, Lütjens couldn't help shivering.

His fingers felt slightly hot, and when he looked down, he saw that the cigarette he had just taken the first puff of had already burned its smoky body in the icy wind.

"..."

With a speechless look on his face, he threw the cigarette butt that had burned his fingers into the ashtray still covered with sea water. Feeling that he had a lot on his mind, Lütjens smiled bitterly, shook his head, reached into his pocket, and took out the waterproof tin cigarette box that he had secretly hidden in his pocket to avoid being hit by the "No Smoking" sign on his own ship cat.

On the front deck of the flagship battleship Bismarck, the fire was still being put out. Lütjens, leaning on the railing, saw the brand of cigarettes from the corner of his eye in the light of the fire.

The picture on the iron box shows a sailboat moored at the dock, three gunpowder barrels, and a shield with three city towers printed on it.

"THREE CASTLES... eh... it's the British brand that Lindemann recommended to me..."

When Lütjens saw the sign, he could not help but think of the sacrificed Lindemann. Then, when he thought of Lindemann, Lütjens subconsciously turned his head and looked around him - and sure enough, he did not see Bismarck.

Come to think of it, the four sisters in my fleet are all close friends and comrades-in-arms. Now my girl, Zeppelin, and Eugen should all be on the battleship Tirpitz, helping Zeppelin take care of Lindemann's funeral...

and……

Looking at the three turrets in his hand and thinking of Lindemann, Lütjens suddenly thought of a trivial matter that happened a long time ago:

In his own home - to be precise, in the home that had been destroyed by British bombers before. He had forgotten when, but when Lindmann was "advertising" the Third Battery, he gave himself a propaganda poster of the Third Battery in China.

It was a green poster full of oriental Chinese style, and it was originally an advertisement for promotion in China.

Many people knew that I was interested in Eastern culture, and this was not a bribe. Besides, I was interested in the content of the painting and the painter was also good, so I accepted it.

And now, I don't know why, that picture suddenly jumped out from my long-collected memory:

In the picture I remember, there was a tower leaning against green mountains and green forests, and four "knights (?)" riding war horses, wearing oriental armor, holding double swords, long knives, snake spears and halberds, were leading the army in a three-on-one battle. Especially on the left side of the picture, the knight besieged by three people seemed to have a very brave personality. Even though he was outnumbered and forced to retreat, he still turned around and fought back on horseback with his halberd, showing that he was still fighting despite being defeated.

Although it was a long time ago, I just laughed it off at the time - after all, the Three Battery was originally built by British tobacco merchants in Hong Kong, and this thing sold a lot in China. But now, that three-on-one scene...

Especially, "This person is actually the same as you, also with the surname Lu! Hehe."

After all, Lütjens has some understanding of Chinese culture, not to mention that he now has a "cute creature" at home that looks like a blonde Persian cat, but is actually a Chinese tabby cat.

After all, I know a lot of English. How could I not know the story of the three heroes fighting Lu Bu in Romulus' English version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?

My last name is Lütjens, and the general who keeps fighting despite repeated defeats is called Lü Bu...

Moreover, they both had great military achievements, both fought one against three, both had the surname Lu, and both were likely to end up defeated. Even their personalities were similar, and they both tended to be cowardly at critical moments. Bah! I am not a coward!

I shook my head vigorously, wondering if I was just making fun of myself.

However, when I think about it this way, I always feel inexplicably touched...

"Captain, you...?!"

There was a cat-like snort beside him, and when Lütjens reacted, he discovered with some embarrassment that a blonde secretary ship beside him was standing with one hand on her waist, pointing at the "No Smoking" sign on the wall of the command tower that was stained with gunpowder and riddled with bullet holes, and glaring at him with her cheeks puffed out.

"Uh... nothing."

Lütjens, who had just come back to his senses from a daze, realized at this moment that he was so absorbed in his thoughts that he even forgot to light the cigarette with the lighter and cigarette box in his hands.

Looking at the sign on the wall that read "No Smoking", Lütjens felt more and more embarrassed.

With a light cough, he skillfully put the cigarette box in his pocket. Lütjens chose to obey his own housekeeper and changed the subject: "Ahem... How is Tirpitz now?"

Changing the subject was not a random question. In the last air raid, although the Tirpitz still obeyed his command, it was obvious that the sad and angry Tirpitz was actually venting her temper in her performance. Although the order was not discounted, the crazy strafing of her close-in defense guns when it was fired was still seen by himself, Bismarck, and everyone else.

To be honest, Lütjens was really a little afraid that Tizi would lose her temper - after all, that girl's mood was always a little unstable. If she was fine on a normal day, if she really went berserk, it would definitely be big news!

In Operation Support, when Bismarck was hit by Warspite's ammunition depot during the battle, Tizi was so furious that he almost rushed out alone to fight to the death with Warspite's six or seven battleships...

Especially since Lindman, the man who could best "heal" this pink-haired troublemaker in the entire fleet, had just died in battle in front of Tizi...

But this time...

"She's fine, but I feel like she's become cold... After losing Lindemann, she seems to have frozen herself... I feel bad for her."

Speaking of her sister, Bismarck also became a little sad - she did not go up and snatch the cigarette from her captain's hand as she did in the past. She also saw her captain's expression and felt sad for Lindemann.

At a time like this... Never mind, Captain, go ahead and smoke if you want. I know you feel bad too...

Standing side by side in front of the porthole, the man and the cat, both in a low mood, sighed slightly in their hearts, and then looked at the sea outside the railing - on the body of the equally wounded Bismarck battleship, the officers and soldiers of the damage control team and the medical team were still busy saving people and putting out the fire. The bodies of the sacrificed soldiers had been carried out one by one, put in body bags, and carried towards the rear deck, and then neatly arranged on the side of the ship...

The clock keeps moving, the warship keeps moving forward, and the sacrificed people remain forever in the embrace of the sea.

Inside the bottom hold of the Tirpitz, a room was completely sealed off and the temperature was reduced to the lowest by the compressor. In the midst of ice and snow, a girl in black sat on the edge of a steel bed, staring blankly at the person who seemed to be sleeping on the bed.

Lindemann's whole body was covered with snowflakes. His stiff body lay quietly, but his peaceful expression seemed as if he would wake up in the next moment.

Tirpitz looked at her and suddenly felt that he would wake up, then touch her head with a smile and call her hamster or grape.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. Perhaps she didn't care about what was happening outside. After Lindemann's death, she had disappeared on the ship on the way back. Yes, a battleship without a captain has lost its soul. Now the Tirpitz battleship is just an ordinary battleship.