At 9:30 in the morning on June 3, after some pre-war preparations, the British Home Fleet was ready to sail. Their opponent, the German Imperial Navy, was already waiting in the English Channel. They were in the waters east of Dunkirk near Belgium. Cruising. Standing on the Queen Elizabeth, Sir House looked at the powerful Royal Navy fleet and felt a strong sense of pride in his heart. As long as the Royal Navy is still there, the British Empire will not fail, Sir House thought. The powerful fleet composed of seven battleships and 17 heavy cruisers filled the hearts of the British who watched the fleet depart from the Portsmouth naval port. Not only ordinary people, but also the Royal Navy officers and soldiers participating in this battle believed that, The British Royal Navy will once again defeat this challenger with absolute superiority, allowing the ambitious German Imperial Navy to once again follow in the footsteps of the German High Seas Fleet.
"Okay, let's go!" The confident Sir House ordered with great enthusiasm. As Sir House's order was issued, twenty-four warships slowly left the harbor, and the huge hull cut through the blue sea. The seawater moved forward slowly, and the sailors were doing all kinds of preparations with ease. Every gesture and gesture showed the combat qualities of the world's number one navy. The farewell people on the shore held flowers to send off their troops, as if they had predicted the victory of this naval battle, but what they did not expect was that this might be the last time they saw these battleships.
"Huh..." In a building only a few kilometers away from Portsmouth Military Port, a man with a frosty face as if he had never known to smile disdainfully put down the military telescope in his hand, turned around and ordered, "Send a report to the country. , the British Home Fleet has been dispatched, with a total of seven battleships, 17 heavy cruisers, and a total of 24 warships. I hope the country can prepare early!" After speaking, the man glanced at the British Home Fleet that was retreating. He snorted coldly, "I really hope the leader can kill them all, I don't want to see them anymore!"
"Yes, these British guys are really finished this time. The countries that the leader targets are usually in bad luck!" Another man wearing glasses said while sending a report, "Unfortunately, the arrests of British people have become more and more frequent in recent times. Being strict, it will be much more difficult to obtain intelligence! After the war broke out between our country and Britain, the activities of the 'British Fascist League' were also restricted by Churchill. If this situation continues, our British comrades will be attacked sooner or later. Influence!"
"Okay, stop talking, business is important, but having said that, do the British still have time to attack our comrades?" The man with a stern face scolded, "It's hard to say whether the British can survive this year! "Thinking of the chaotic situation in the British Isles and the panic of the people during this period, the cold-faced man showed a smile that was uglier than crying.
A few minutes later, this telegram appeared on the desk of Heydrich, who was still sitting in Czechoslovakia. Heydrich glanced at it hurriedly, raised his head and said, "The accuracy of wartime intelligence is important, but timeliness is even more important. It's important. Send the telegram to Marshal Raeder and Marshal Goering immediately!" At this point, Heydrich glanced at the adjutant in front of him with cold eyes: "If my subordinates have some bad problems, such as Say, if you hesitate before something big happens! I won’t give him another chance!”
"Yes, Your Excellency, Deputy Leader!" The adjutant, who was glanced at by Heydrich, could not suppress the cold sweat all over his body and quickly retreated.
The news of the dispatch of the British Home Fleet was handed over to Redel and Göring by Heydrich at the same time. Redel immediately informed Vice Admiral Lütjens and asked him to make early preparations. After Goering received the news, he stepped up preparations and calculated the British Navy's voyage and route. Airports in western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, which had been busy all night, have turned from busy to quiet at this time. The brightly lit scene has disappeared, but the atmosphere is even more heart-stopping. At these airports, seven hundred Stuka dive bombers have been filled with fuel and loaded with bombs. When the time comes, they can be immediately put into the battlefield as long as Goering gives the order.
In the armored command room of the battleship Tirpitz that could withstand the attack of the battleship's main gun, Vice Admiral Lütjens held the telegram with a solemn expression and remained silent for a long time. The British fleet dispatched far more troops than Lütjens. Vice Admiral Lütjens originally thought that the British would dispatch four battleships and some heavy cruisers to deal with the German Navy. However, he did not expect that the British would dispatch all the main battleships in the British mainland, except for the Except for the fact that the two battleships of the Mediterranean Fleet were not dispatched, it can be said that the British took out all their capital.
This is mainly because in the Battle of Denmark Strait, the combat power displayed by the two battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz was so powerful. In only ten minutes, the 48,000-ton Hood battleship The cruiser was sunk, and the battlecruiser Repulse was seriously damaged. It almost did not sail to the British mainland. The injury required at least six months of overhaul. The damage to the battleship Nelson was not minor either. If the battleships Rodney and Imperial Power had not arrived in time that day, the three battleships might have been handed over there. The powerful performance of the Bismarck-class battleships also made Churchill determined to take this opportunity to catch them all. Lord House, the commander of the Home Fleet, also felt the same way about this.
"General Lütjens, what's going on?" Seeing the solemn expression on Vice Admiral Lütjens's face, von Lohenkram asked.
Vice Admiral Lütjens spread his hands, handed the telegram to von Lohenkramm, and said with a wry smile, "The British are going to fight hard this time. With our strength, we are no match for them!"
Seven battleships left port, including two of the Queen Elizabeth class: HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Malaya. There are four ships in the Revenge class: Revenge, Sovereign, Resolution and Ramillies. 1 Nelson-class ship: Rodney. There are seventeen heavy cruisers in total: 2 of the Howkins class: HMS Hawkins, HMS Frobes, and 5 of the Kent class: HMS Kent, HMS Berwick, HMS Cumberland, HMS Cornwall, HMS Salvador Fokker and four ships of the London class: London, Devonshire, Sussex, and Shropshire. There are two ships of the Dorsetshire class: Norfolk and Dorsetshire. There are 2 York class ships: York and Exeter. After reading it, von Lohenkramm chuckled, "It's indeed a big deal. Except for the United States and Japan, no one in the world can assemble a formation of this size!"
Vice Admiral Lütjens was obviously not in the mood. Seeing von Lohenkramm's unconcerned look, he said, "Although the Bismarck-class battleships are powerful, they can only face up to four battleships of the same class, but the British came Seven ships, and the 203MM main guns on their heavy cruisers are not without any threat to the Bismarck-class battleships!"
"No, Lieutenant General! I don't agree with your opinion!" At this time, the joking expression on von Lohenkramm's face had disappeared and replaced with a serious one, "Things are not that bad. The British battleships in this telegram are old enough to be the fathers of our battleships. Moreover, our Scharnhorst and Gneisenau can compete with these elderly battleships in every aspect. The only The flaw is that the main guns of the two battlecruisers are indeed a little less powerful. But this is not a big problem. Our current strength with the British Royal Navy is four to seven, not two to seven! As long as our tactics are successful, with the help of The joint operation of the Bismarck and the Tirpitz, killing a British battleship at the beginning of the battle, is not a problem at all. The specific situation requires the command of the general!" At the end of the sentence, von Lohenkramm He bowed slightly and said flatteringly.
"That's right!" Even if von Lohenkramm hadn't said those words, Vice Admiral Lütjens would have adjusted his emotions before the battle began. Since Vice Admiral Lütjens accepted Lei After Marshal Del's mission, there was no way out. As a general, Vice Admiral Lütjens has never thought about retreating. As a veteran sailor of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Lütjens has only one idea, and that is to drag the British with him even if he dies. The fleet went to hell together.
"Your Majesty Lieutenant General, in fact, if we kill one of their battleships after the war begins, we might as well retreat first, and finally lead the British away from their home coastline!" Von & Lohengramm suggested.
"They won't be fooled!" Vice Admiral Lütjens shook his head. "To be honest, if I were asked to fight within the range of the enemy's aircraft, I would never do it. But maybe the British are too arrogant. They They actually fought us decisively from the English Channel! But that's where it ends. If they retreat towards Germany at the beginning of the battle, the British will not catch up. On the one hand, imperial planes can appear at any time, and on the other hand, the British will not catch up. On the other hand, with the speed of our warships, we can use the time difference to slowly grind against the British. As long as you are patient enough, there will always be a chance, and House will never fail to see this!"
"General Lütjens, the reconnaissance plane has discovered the British Royal Navy fleet!" the staff rushed in and reported.
"Has it started yet?" Vice Admiral Lütjens and Lohenkram looked at each other, and both saw the fierce fighting spirit in each other's eyes. It was worth seeing a naval battle of this scale even once in a lifetime, not to mention that I was participating as a combatant on one side.
"The two vehicles are at a quarter speed, and the left rudder is 15 degrees. Follow the planned route marked on the chart and move towards the formation position. Pay attention to the position of friendly ships, especially the "Bismarck", and pay attention to the formation distance from her. Luo Yan Kram, you go up and take command." Vice Admiral Lütjens shouted after reacting.
"Yes, General!" Rear Admiral von Lohenkramm calmly ordered into the loudspeaker, "All crew members are in combat mode! It is so exciting to participate in this unprecedented naval battle. No matter what the outcome of this battle, we We all have to believe that even if we all die in battle, Germany will still exist!"
"Speed up! Hans! Where are you taking your people?"
"Charge No. 1! Come on, boys!"
"Harder, don't be such a pussy. Hey, bring the forklift over here. Oh my god! Look what you've done! Idiot!"
The bow magazine of the German battleship Tirpitz was bustling with activity. The main ammunition depot located in the forward bilge of the battleship is responsible for providing ammunition to Scharnhorst's four 380 mm heavy guns in the first two main battery turrets.
Although this laborious work has been mostly semi-automated, the work of loading those heavy charges and shells onto those lifting and loading machines still requires manual labor, and these tasks alone are enough to load dozens of The strong sailor was so busy that he was sweating profusely. The lowest level of the ammunition depot is the charge cabin, where all the main gun firing charges of the two forward main turrets are placed.
These propellants are related to the survival of the entire battleship. In history, no one knows how many powerful battleships that once traveled all over the world ended up in pieces due to being hit by the propellant magazine. Therefore, modern warships generally place them in comparison to The bottom compartment is safer and has the most reliable protection.
"Report, the British fleet is still ten nautical miles away from us and will appear within visual range in three minutes!" The staff officer continued to report the latest situation to his commander, striving to get the commander to make an accurate response. The battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz slowly adjusted their angles, striving to achieve complete victory in the upcoming battle. As the most famous sister ships in the world, there is no need to doubt the tacit cooperation between the Bismarck and the Tirpitz. In the Battle of Denmark Strait, the Hood used its own experience to let the latecomers know not to have extravagant expectations. Trying to play the role of hero in the Bismarck class sister ships.
"1, 2, 3..., seven battleships, seventeen heavy cruisers! It matches the intelligence very well!" As time goes by, the British Home Fleet has appeared in von Lohengramm's sight. Von Lohenkram, who put down the telescope, also felt slightly nervous and excited. Men all longed for war.
At this time, in the frontline headquarters of the German Air Force, the German Air Force Chief of Staff, Major General Jeshunek, and other personnel were also busy anxiously. Goering had given a death order, and the British mainland fleet must be completely annihilated today, although yes Rear Admiral Schonneck, like most commanders, did not believe that small aircraft could pose a threat to huge battleships. However, after Goering's strong intervention, he ordered all aircraft to be loaded with aerial bombs and on standby in Germany. Airports in the west and Belgium and the Netherlands.
"The British fleet has appeared, and it will take fifteen minutes for the dive bombers on standby in Belgium and the Netherlands to reach the sea surface of the battlefield!"
"The first wave of bombing will focus on the heavy cruisers of the British fleet, and one or two battleships will be focused on!"
"Our personnel are counting the time, and strive to complete the handover with the first arriving wing when the second wave of bomber wing arrives at the battlefield!"
"Very good!" Although Major General Jeshunek, Chief of Staff of the German Air Force, is not very old, he has been serving as Chief of Staff for a year. He also has a calm and authoritative air when he speaks. He looks at People who expressed their opinions, Major General Jeshunek said, "This is the first time we have fought apart from the army. Whether the German navy and air force are the foil of the army or can operate independently depends on the outcome of this battle! Everyone , the future of the Air Force depends on you!" When he said this, Major General Jeshunek bowed slightly.
Although Goering got Hit? Le's trust allowed the Air Force to obtain huge funds, but Goering may not have much talent in the development of the Air Force. The current Air Force operations are still highly dependent on the Army. As the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Major General Jeshunek certainly knows , in the long run, this situation is definitely not a good thing for the Air Force. Therefore, Major General Jeshunek was also looking for opportunities to prove the power of the Air Force. This time Goering ordered the Air Force to launch a full-scale bombing of the British Home Fleet, and Major General Jeshunek regarded it as an excellent opportunity to win credit for the Air Force.
On the sea at this time, the German Navy had already met the British Royal Navy Home Fleet. Standing in the armored command room of the battleship Queen Elizabeth, Sir House saw for the first time the Bismarck-class sister ship of the German Navy: " What a good battleship, but it will disappear after this battle! But anyway, the destination of a battleship is either to win great honor and be remembered forever, or to fight to the end to win the respect of the opponent! Such a powerful opponent, I I think Lütjens feels the same as me now!" Sir House said with some melancholy.
As the two sides gradually approached, it was the German Navy that took the lead in launching an attack. For Vice Admiral Lütjens, this was no longer the age of chivalry. Preemptive strikes were king. As for Vice Admiral Lütjens, The moment the order was given, the Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau battlecruisers opened fire at the same time, and dozens of 380MM and 283MM armor-piercing bombs flew towards the Royal Navy battleship Rodney. Go, for the German Navy, the 406MM artillery equipped on the battleship Rodney is really a big threat. The battleship Rodney must lose its combat effectiveness as soon as possible in order to gain any hope of victory.
Boom..., the unprepared battleship Rodney was suddenly attacked by intensive firepower. Three rounds of 380MM armor-piercing bullets and two rounds of 283MM armor-piercing bullets hit the battleship USS Rodney, among which the battleship USS Tirpitz launched A shell accurately hit the triple-mounted 406MM main gun in front of the battleship Rodney, immediately causing the battleship Rodney to lose one-third of its firepower.