The battleships USS Resolution and USS Ramillies, which had begun to capsize, immediately became new targets for the two Bismarck-class battleships. The eight 380MM main guns of the Bismarck and Tirpitz continued to fire at the two British battleships, which became the last straw that broke the two battleships. When the rescue efforts failed, the commanders of the two battleships had to do something Made the painful decision to abandon ship...
The reason why Vice Admiral Lütjens ordered the navy to act before the air force sank the British battleships was to attack the British battleships first. There is also a certain degree of selfishness in it. The boss of the German Wehrmacht is undoubtedly the Army, but Goering and Hitt? Le's good relationship makes Germany's young air force very strong within the Wehrmacht. Compared with the traditional old Continental Army and the young but aggressive Air Force, Redel's Navy has become a role that grandma does not love and uncle does not love. Although some people tried their best to help the navy within their scope of authority, this did not fundamentally change the status of the German Navy in the Wehrmacht. The reason for this is that the navy wants to carry out independent combat operations and cannot provide direct help to the army under normal circumstances. Who knows that Germany is not a maritime country like Britain and Japan? Compared with battles such as landing operations, the German Army is accustomed to solving problems head-on.
In this case, the army needs more cooperation from the German Air Force, and its reliance on the navy is not strong. Even for the generals of the Wehrmacht, the navy is even dispensable. Even in their hearts, the navy is indispensable. The behavior of squatting in the German military port from beginning to end during World War I, acting as a fleet presence, still affects their view of the German navy. If William II used all the funds given to the German Navy to strengthen the army's armaments, it is hard to say who will win in World War I.
The generals in the Navy obviously also know that if the Army, which has an absolute advantage within the Wehrmacht, leans towards one of the Air Force or the Navy, it will be a devastating blow to the other service. Unfortunately, the Army chose Göring's Air Force. Rather than Redel's navy, perhaps the navy's performance in World War I was so poor that the army could not see what the navy could do to help the army. Within the National Defense Forces, the Army is absolutely decisive. Once the Army makes a choice, other services will have almost no room to resist.
But simply, there is one thing that the traditional Wehrmacht does very comprehensively, that is, as a force to protect Germany, the Wehrmacht will never engage in subversion of the government or rebellion, even if it is Hit, whom the Wehrmacht hates very much? Even though Le came to power, the National Defense Forces did not forcefully pull him down. Of course Hit? Le's influence on the National Defense Forces is basically zero. Is this also Hit? The reason why Le is so supportive of Lin Wei’s formation of the armed SS.
It was a blessing in disguise. This situation gave the navy, which was almost in an insignificant position, new hope. Just convince Hit? Legislation increased investment in the navy and strengthened its construction. Naturally, the status of the navy can be restored, but this road is obviously not so easy to walk. Goering's air force is also a huge stone blocking the navy. Want to let Hit? If Legia invests more in the navy, it must produce shocking results. This is also a bit of selfishness in the heart of Vice Admiral Lütjens. If the German Air Force is credited with the annihilation of the British Home Fleet, it will not only allow Goering to develop the air force more unscrupulously, but also for the German Navy. No benefit at all.
As the main guns of the two Bismarck-class battleships continued to roar, the battleships Determination and Ramillies finally sank forty nautical miles off the coast of Belgium with unwillingness.
"If this is a dream, I really hope he wakes up soon!" This is the voice of all Royal Navy soldiers. The tragic naval battle cannot bring such a big shock to these sailors, but if they are at a disadvantage, , and there is absolutely no room for fighting back, that is another matter.
Ouch..., a dark cloud rose again in the southeast. This was the arrival of the third wave of bombers. Most of the third wave of dive bomber wings took off from the airports in Germany. Since the German mainland was far away from the battlefield, Yeshun was Major General Gramm ordered an early takeoff. Like Vice Admiral Lütjens, the young Chief of Staff of the German Air Force also regarded this battle as an opportunity to gain credit for the Air Force. The tacit understanding between the two brought great misfortune to the British fleet. Perhaps in the future, the German Navy and the German Imperial Air Force will never have the opportunity to cooperate so closely. Perhaps the German Army is too strong, forcing the Navy and Air Force to put aside their usual gaps and complete this battle together.
"General! The heavy cruiser Sussex blocked our attack angle!" said von Lohengramm. For every German naval general, they are familiar with the British Navy's ships, even more than they are familiar with their own. warship. Isn't there a saying that the person who knows you best is your enemy. The German Navy has well proved the wisdom of this sentence.
"Sink it!" Vice Admiral Lütjens gave a simple and clear order. Now the British navy in front of him must be eliminated as soon as possible. Any obstacles in front of him must be cleared.
"Yes, General!" Von Lohenkramm shouted excitedly, "Forward main gun, target British heavy cruiser HMS Sussex, high explosive bombs!" Maybe the long-cherished wish of many years will be realized today, all The soldiers of the German Navy are not tired now. The very dangerous situation of the German Navy just now has been left far away. Now they only know that they must sink all the British fleet in front of them. The entire warship has an unprecedented high efficiency. At this time, the warship is like a high-speed machine. People don't care how intense the work is. They only know that the British Navy, which has been blocking the German transportation lines from today on, only needs half of it. The strength is here. As long as they are sunk, the naval strength of Britain and Germany will immediately become evenly matched from heaven to earth.
Boom..., the 380MM shell was indeed not something that the heavy cruiser's weak body could withstand. After the heavy cruiser Sussex was hit, it immediately caught fire, and a terrible wound appeared at the location where it was hit. It was huge. The cracks make a heart-stopping sound, and the cracks are getting bigger and bigger. If someone had told the German sailors before today that special steel can be pulled apart, the German sailors would have thought that the person who told him was an idiot. Now Germany The sailors had almost never participated in the Battle of Jutland, and had never seen such a sinking situation. The huge pulling force on both sides of the ship's bow and stern caused the cracks in the middle of the heavy cruiser Sussex to get bigger and bigger, and finally there was a bang The hull of the ship was pulled off, broke into two pieces and sank to the bottom of the sea.
Sir House knew very well that in today's naval battle, the British navy would definitely be wiped out, and there would be no chance of escaping back to the British mainland. He also knew that even the British warships might be attacked by the German navy because of Germany's victory. and air force offensive. Now Sir House has not thought about escaping at all. He just wants to fulfill the duties of an old navy, which is to leave as much damage to the German Navy as possible and buy some time for Britain.
Sir House looked at the people who had been around him, pausing for a moment on each person's face. What he saw was an expression of determination. Knowing the mood of his subordinates, Sir House said sadly, " Today the Royal Navy suffered an unprecedented defeat. This is a new naval combat method. We are not unjustly defeated, but I believe that Britain will not fail!"
"God bless my king (queen)!! Long live my king (queen)! God bless my king (queen)! Always win, be happy, govern the country, have long luck, God bless my king (queen)!"
"Okay," I saw everyone proving their determination with the oath equivalent to the navy's military song! Sir House ordered, "Order the Malaya and the Royal Power to take a zigzag pattern to avoid the air attacks of the German Air Force and fight with us to target the German Navy flagship Tirpitz battleship! Lütjens is the best in Germany at present. The master tactician must sink him. He is a big threat to Britain while he is alive. Moreover, as long as one Bismarck-class battleship is sunk, the Germans will not have enough strength to land in Britain! Britain will be saved!"
The formation that had been disrupted by the bombing began to recover again under the command of Sir House. The battleships Malaya and Emperor Power avoided the indiscriminate bombing of the Luftwaffe while approaching Sir House's Queen Elizabeth. Of the seven heavy cruisers, only a few were floating on the sea. The indiscriminate bombing by Stuka dive bombers and the 380MM main guns of the Bismarck-class battleships had caused most of the British heavy cruisers to sink to the bottom of the sea.
The only remaining battleships in the British fleet, HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Imperial Power, and HMS Malaya, are no longer numerically superior. Although the German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz were also seriously injured, They were also assisted by the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and all the battlecruisers of the British Navy had been sunk by Germany in the Battle of Norway and the Battle of Denmark Strait.
In the current comparison of the strengths of the two sides, the British fleet not only no longer has the upper hand in terms of quantity, but also lags far behind in terms of quality. Facing the attack of four German battleships (battlecruisers) of the same class, it can be said that Sir House's decision was an attack with no return. The best result is to sink one of the Bismarck-class battleships. Now in Germany's domestic shipyards, two Bismarck-modified hulls have been mostly completed, and construction of a Bismarck-class battleship manufactured for the Soviet Navy has also begun.
Of course, the British mainland is also building the George V-class battleship. Displacement: 35,000 tons (design displacement)/38,641 tons (standard displacement)/44,650-45,360 tons (full load displacement). Scale: 227 meters in total length, 225.5 meters in waterline; full length Width 34.2 meters; maximum draft 10.8 meters, main engine: 8 boilers, 4 steam turbines, main engine maximum output power 110,000 horsepower. Fuel: heavy oil, 3800 tons (maximum load) Speed: 29 knots (maximum speed in sea trials), endurance: 14,000 nautical miles/10 knots (design value, actual test value is halved), 3900 nautical miles/22 knots Armament: 10 doors and 14 inches /45 caliber main gun (two quadruple turrets, one twin turret); 16 133 mm/50 caliber high and flat dual-purpose secondary guns; 32-48 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns; 4 20-barreled guns Anti-aircraft rocket.
Armor: Main armor belt 13.7-14.7 inches, bow and tail waterlines 4.4 inches; turret front 12.75 inches, top 5.9 inches; gun mount 12.75 inches; command tower 4 inches; armored deck 4.9-5.9 inches. The lightning protection system is designed to withstand the explosive equivalent of 1,000 pounds of TNT. The total armor weight is 12,612 tons.
In terms of performance on paper, it is only slightly lower than the Bismarck-class battleships. The British shipbuilding industry is not comparable to Germany, but the current situation is obviously in favor of Germany. It is still unknown whether the British can survive until these battleships are completed.
The huge battleships cut through the water and gradually gathered together. Through the glass of the armored command room, Sir House saw the already scarred battleship HMS Imperial Power. His good friend General Bertram Ramsay was on the HMS Imperial Power. On the battleship, Bertram Ramsay and Sir House were good friends, but their relationship became tense due to problems with naval construction.
"Bertram Ramsay, I originally wanted to find a chance to reconcile with you, but now it seems that there is no such chance between us!" Sir House thought to himself.
"Target, the German battleship Tirpitz! Fire!" Sir House shouted hoarsely.
"Target, the British battleship Queen Elizabeth!" Like Sir House, Vice Admiral Lütjens made the same choice. The battle at this time belonged to the navy, and the pinnacle battle of the era of giant ships and cannons had begun. Maybe it was because there were no more bombs, or maybe it was because it wanted to leave some battles of its own to the navy, but in short the Luftwaffe did not take action.
The battleship was already scarred, and the sailors on both sides had used its potential to the limit. At a distance of more than 10,000 meters, the cannons fired in unison, and the ships shuttled back and forth to avoid being hit. The cannon giant ship was using its highest method to prove the value of its existence.
The British Navy, which was at a disadvantage in all aspects, tried its best, but was ultimately no match for the German Navy. A few minutes later, the battleship Malaya was quickly and violently attacked by the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The 283MM artillery fire turned into a sea of fire. The battleship took in a lot of water and began to sink slowly. The battlecruiser Gneisenau also took in a lot of water and tilted ten degrees. The sailors immediately poured a large amount of water on the other side of the battleship to prevent it from giving way. The battlecruiser Neisenau was sunk. The Scharnhorst's turret was hit by the 380MM main gun of the battleship Malaya. The dozens of tons of turrets were lifted into the air more than ten meters high, and some of them fell heavily.
The battleships Queen Elizabeth and Imperial Power fought to the end, still fighting to the best of their ability. The battleship Tirpitz was covered in scars and had been hit by at least dozens of 380MM shells. It seemed that it could barely even float on the sea. The battleship Bismarck was not much better. A huge crack of nearly ten meters appeared on the port side. The front main gun turret was missing. The two battleships had suffered more than 500 casualties.
Lord House's British fleet was even worse, with all heavy cruisers sunk. The Imperial Power was hit on its steering rudder and lost its ability to turn. The battleship Queen Elizabeth is now almost stalled, and everyone has no doubt that as long as a shell hits it, it will immediately sink to the bottom of the sea.
Looking at the two Bismarck-class battleships, although the situation was dire, it was still much better than his own battleship Situation. Sir House, who had always been unafraid in the battle, not only showed an envious look, but also from the naval battle until now. Germany's two Bismarck-class battleships, which were at a numerical disadvantage, suffered a far greater blow than their own force, the Queen Elizabeth battleship.
The situation here has been reported back to the British mainland by Sir House. As for what Churchill thought, that is not a question that Sir House can think of. Even the powerful battleship Bismarck has been sent back to the British mainland.
"As a naval soldier, the bottom of the sea is our final destination!" Sir House's already hoarse voice once again thought about the armored command room that was no longer the same. The bulletproof glass in front of him had long been shattered into pieces. The salty sea breeze blew in along the broken glass. Sir House's military cap had already disappeared. It was blown into a mess and his gray hair told how much effort the man in front of him had put in for the British Navy.
Everyone is full of respect for such an old man. When things have developed to this point, we really can't blame this old navy man who has devoted his whole life to the British Navy.
"Report, the Germans want us to surrender!" Sir House followed the finger of the staff officer next to him and saw the sailors standing on the battleship Tirpitz waving the flag. And clearly read the meaning.
"Surrender? I will never surrender!" Sir House said decisively, "What the Germans want are the two battleships in front of them. If we surrender, it will undoubtedly increase the German navy's ability to land on the British mainland. We would rather fight Even if you die, you will never surrender!"
"Yes, I would rather die in battle than surrender!" The few people who could still stand up all said solemnly. The injured man proved his resolve while sitting on the ground.
"General, the British refuse to surrender!" von Rollachram said respectfully to Vice Admiral Lütjens.
"I know!" Vice Admiral Lütjens waved his hand feebly, "I know this stubborn guy will not surrender. The British battleship has lost even its power, so it's up to you to order the cannon!"
Von Lolaram didn't know why Vice Admiral Lütjens became a little sad after the victory in the naval battle, but when he heard that Vice Admiral Lütjens handed over the final attack to him, he was immediately overwhelmed by excitement. He happily ordered, "The British refuse to surrender. Listen to my order and fire!"