Chapter 229: Tragic and Heroic

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What does it mean for a cornered dog to leap over a wall? What does it mean for a desperate rabbit to bite? The German Navy at this moment was just like that. With a tragic and heroic mood, like a desperate woman surrounded by thugs—she finally remembers she has a pistol in her purse…

“This way of fighting is too hard to get used to. I am more suited to commanding a gun duel between battleships or heavy cruisers,” Lütjens said, lowering the binoculars in his hand. This was a habit he had developed over many years, but now he found that he couldn’t even see the target he was supposed to be attacking. “This method of using planes to attack an opponent from beyond visual range is really too frustrating.”

When you cannot see your own combat results with your own eyes, nor enjoy the visceral thrill of striking the enemy, the joy of battle disappears. In its place is endless calculation and a suffocating, lingering tension. For a commander, the pressure is absolutely unprecedented.

So please, you must understand the obsession Japan had with big ships and giant guns during World War II. There was definitely a reason for it: the enjoyment of watching your own shells hit the enemy’s hull, then burst and tear it apart, turning a warship that cost millions of pounds to build into scrap metal, and then watching it slowly sink into the sea, was simply too fascinating. Of course, obsession is one thing, but everyone knows the actual results.

Another pressure came from the fear brought by the new tactics. To this day, there were still people in the navy who trusted the battleships that had accompanied them for decades more, who believed that the armor of these Tyrannosaurus-like steel behemoths could withstand the bombs and torpedoes dropped by those mosquito-like planes.

This distrust in the destructive power of carrier-based aircraft, and this confidence in the protective systems of battleships, was rampant in the navies of all countries. At least, the world’s first-class naval powers like Japan, the United States, and Britain had not taken the crazy step of eliminating battleships and heavy cruisers as Germany had. So Lütjens was even more apprehensive. He really didn’t know if he was making a dying struggle or changing the history of world naval warfare.

Just now, 15 torpedo-armed fighters had already taken off. Another 15 fighters had also taken off and were on standby in the clouds as the combat air patrol for the entire fleet. And another 30 naval two-seater Stukas had already flown toward their target. They were going to attack the main body of the British fleet that was closing in on the German fleet from the north.

“A message just came in. To our northwest, the British Royal Navy’s battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth has been spotted, and two aircraft carriers can be faintly seen following behind,” the first mate said to Lütjens with a frown. “It seems the British main force is to our north. This is really incomprehensible.”

“There’s nothing to misunderstand,” Lütjens said, looking at the sea chart spread on the analysis table. He thought for a moment. “They’re not coming for us; they’re coming to annihilate our entire High Seas Fleet! Contact the carrier Tirpitz. Order them to send out all their remaining carrier-based aircraft. Direction due south. Attack any and all targets they can find.”

“Due south?” The first mate was taken aback, not knowing why Lütjens would give such a command.

“That’s right, due south!” Lütjens nodded. “After all the carrier-based aircraft have taken off, order the fleet to turn at once and proceed south at full speed.”

“We’re not returning to the naval port of Kiel?” The first mate couldn’t quite believe the order he had heard.

“The main British fleet is to our northwest. If we insist on heading north, we will soon encounter them. But if we insist on heading south, then at least we still have a chance to rendezvous with Admiral Raeder to the south,” Lütjens explained, then stared at the sea chart for a while.

He then looked up, as if he had made some sort of decision, and said, “Send a telegram to Admiral Raeder at once. Tell them we will be heading south and hope that they can provide support.”

“General, what about those British navy destroyers and cruisers to the south?” the first mate asked the most critical question.

Lütjens raised an eyebrow and said through gritted teeth, “We are in a state of war with Britain. Although I am reluctant to admit it, there is still a certain difference compared to a true all-out war, but our two countries are in a state of war. Then, for the navy of an enemy country in a state of war, there is only one choice: sink it.”

“In addition, give an order to the northern air group that has already been dispatched. After conducting a feint attack, they are to return to base immediately,” Lütjens said after a moment’s thought. “No matter how great a victory we achieve in the north, it will not change the fact that our fleet is surrounded. So we must conserve our strength and break out to the south.”

Thus, a lively race began on the German aircraft carriers. Both carriers launched all their remaining planes at the fastest possible speed, and the direction of these planes was opposite to the heading of the previously dispatched batch.

After sending out all its planes, the entire fleet began to turn. A massive fleet carved a huge turning wake on the surface of the sea. Subsequently, the carrier-based fighters that had gone north returned, because the German naval fighter commanders were worried that their planes would not be able to find the fleet, which had changed course.

What followed was the chaotic scene of the carriers recovering their aircraft. Although they had plenty of fuel, the first wave of counter-attacking Fw-190s and Stukas, which had hastily dropped their torpedoes and bombs, were in a hurry to land and replenish their ammunition. The deck was filled with planes that had just come to a stop, and ground crew who were busy pushing these planes aside to make way for the planes landing behind them.

Although the rigorous training and the meticulous work style of the Germans had prevented any major mishaps in the chaotic emergency launch and recovery, it still made Lütjens, who was watching all of this from the bridge, break out in a cold sweat. It seemed that he was not the only one who was unaccustomed to this kind of naval battle where you couldn’t see the enemy; every single German sailor was unaccustomed to it.

At the rear of the entire German fleet, on the bridge of a destroyer, the captain lowered his binoculars. On the radar screen, the dense bright spots of the British navy could already be seen. A few seconds ago, a huge waterspout had exploded not far away. The British had already begun to correct their fire.

If they continued at their current speed, the German fleet, which had just turned, would not be able to escape the pursuit and annihilation of the British warships. The pursuit fleet, composed of battlecruisers and cruisers, would soon catch up to the German fleet and, bit by bit, eat away at the German fleet exposed to the British guns. If things went badly, even the First High Seas Fleet, which was coming to reinforce them, would be eaten up by the British in the chaos.

“Adjust course. Continue to turn west. Give the torpedoes on the broadside a firing position. Inform the sailors at all posts by telegram, and send a message to the flagship. This ship will act as the fleet’s rearguard,” the captain said, lighting the pipe in his mouth, his hedgehog-like beard trembling. “For the future of the High Seas Fleet! Fight to the last moment!”

“I’m sorry, gentlemen. I am a veteran who participated in Operation Rainbow. I don’t want to face the end of the High Seas Fleet again,” the bearded captain said with an embarrassed smile. He then gave the order, “Hold the course. All torpedoes, fire in a fan-shaped salvo!”

“It’s alright! As long as our fleet is safe, there will always be a chance to avenge us!” the first mate said with a smile.

“I’d rather die than be a prisoner! Let the British see what our German destroyers are made of!” the helmsman followed with a cheerful laugh.

With a slight shudder, ten large torpedoes flew into the sea, their direction toward the dense British pursuit fleet, so there was no need to worry about aiming. This was a barrage of fire to interfere with the enemy’s pursuit. As long as the other side spotted the torpedoes and took evasive action, then, just like the turning German fleet, they would not be able to increase their speed for a while.

“Reload torpedoes immediately! Fire all the torpedoes before we are hit!” the bearded captain commanded loudly, glancing at the huge waterspout from a shell that had hit their broadside. “Have the deck sailors lower the boats. Gunners and soldiers who do not wish to die in battle can get on the lifeboats! The British will pick them up.”

“Torpedoes reloaded! Ready to fire at any time!” the first mate reported loudly after a while.

“Salvo! And then there is no need to report. Fire at will!” the captain laughed loudly. “We have already entered the range of the British battleships’ secondary guns. We can’t escape, gentlemen.”

“Heil Führer!” the first mate shouted, his face stern.

“Long live the German Navy,” the bearded captain also said solemnly.

One after another, the torpedoes flew into the sea, speeding toward the distant British fleet, which had already appeared on the horizon. But because of their conspicuous wakes, at this distance, they could only serve as interference. To achieve any results was almost impossible. But to avoid these torpedoes, the speed of the British Navy’s pursuit fleet was clearly somewhat delayed.

Seeing the main German fleet get away, the British army began to accelerate its pursuit and, as if to vent its anger, opened fire, wanting to sink this troublesome German destroyer. But due to the range, only the 380mm main guns of the battleships and the 280mm main guns of the heavy cruisers could hit this German destroyer.

However, because the German destroyer was presenting its broadside to the British fleet, while the British fleet was in a direct pursuit, the distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer. Soon, a shell hit the German destroyer. The powerful impact broke the entire ship in two. Because the power of the 380mm cannon was too great, half of the bridge was even thrown into the sky.

Soon, the entire battlefield fell silent. This destroyer, which had sacrificed itself to hold back the British Navy, had sunk in less than five minutes from the time it was hit. On the surface of the sea floated two lifebuoys and a few pieces of broken wood, the only proof that there had once been a ship here. The warships of the British Royal Navy sped past this spot, finding no survivors.