I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 1035 We were among the eliminated batch

The next day, the rising sun illuminated Lewick Harbour, the largest port in the Shetland Islands. The British North Sea Fleet stationed there dispatched another patrol boat, the "whoosh" of the propellers startling seagulls into screams in the air.

Vice Admiral Freddy, commander of the British North Sea Fleet, hadn't slept all night; he had received a telegram from the War House in London the previous night:
"The German High Seas Fleet has concentrated all its forces and is heading towards your position. Please make sure you are prepared for defense!"

Lieutenant General Freddie was puzzled when he received the telegram.

German High Seas Fleet?

They're already in complete disarray, yet they still have the fighting capacity and dare to provoke the British Royal Navy?
What a joke.

Soon after, he received several more telegrams:
"Our Second Fleet has been blockaded by the French on the west side of the English Channel and cannot provide reinforcements."

"With the 'Warspite' sunk, the Second Fleet may not be able to reinforce the North Sea for another three days."

"The German High Seas Fleet is likely stronger than yours, so please remain vigilant!"

……

Only then did Lieutenant General Freddie become nervous.

Lieutenant General Freddy was not afraid of the German High Seas Fleet, but of Charles.

He actually managed to sink HMS Warspite, which was a Queen Elizabeth-class ship, and the North Sea Fleet only had one of the same class.

Moreover, anyone with a modicum of common sense can see that it was Charles's design to divert the strength of the North Sea Fleet to the Atlantic Ocean and then blockade the English Channel to prevent them from returning.

Charles did this because he believed that the German High Seas Fleet could defeat the North Sea Fleet!
In a panic, Lieutenant General Freddy immediately retrieved information on the two most recent naval battles, the Mediterranean and the English Channel campaigns.

He wanted to understand what he was facing.

After a night of research, he finally understood.

“The world has changed,” Lieutenant General Freddy lamented to his staff, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. “And we are among those who have been phased out.”

"What?" The staff officer was startled by Lieutenant General Freddy's words. Was he saying that the British fleet would lose?
Lieutenant General Freddie didn't continue; as the commander, he couldn't "disrupt morale."

However, he knew that the elimination of the British Royal Navy was inevitable.

Even if they could defeat the German High Seas Fleet today, they would eventually be defeated by the French Navy.

This gap cannot be bridged by hard work alone.

While the French Navy already possessed bombers and torpedo bombers, Britain was still building battleships at full speed, with scientists and engineers working hard to increase the caliber of cannons and the armor, all of which were useless on the battlefield.

Can you believe it?
The British Royal Navy has become a pile of scrap metal!
"General!" At that moment, the communications officer reported, "The main German fleet has been spotted. They have concentrated all their warships, totaling more than 80 ships, and are heading towards our port!"

Lieutenant General Freddie immediately understood the Germans' intentions: they wanted to decide the outcome of the battle in one decisive battle.

The British fleet was forced to engage in battle.

This is Lewick Harbour, where the British fleet stored large quantities of fuel, supplies, and ammunition.

Once Lewick harbor falls, even if the Second Fleet arrives to join the battle, the British fleet will face the predicament of having no fuel and no ammunition.

By attacking a place the British had to defend, the Germans were forcing the British to fight.

Lieutenant General Freddy gritted his teeth: "Sail out to meet the challenge!"

……

On the German battleship "Bavarian," Admiral Scheer watched with satisfaction as the British fleet came into view through his binoculars.

Port William is only 560 kilometers from the Shetland Islands.

If they had advanced at full speed, they could have reached this point last night and launched a night attack on Lewick, but Admiral Scheer did not. “A daytime attack would be more advantageous for us,” he explained to his staff.

"We have more advanced observation and aiming systems, thicker armor, and more importantly, we have more warships."

"Why should we fight at night when we have the advantage in strength?"

This was one of the few times Germany had the upper hand in a naval battle, which surprised many people.

Some staff members objected:
“But the British warships are faster, Captain, and with that they can always get a better ‘T’ position.”

"This wouldn't happen during a night battle."

In some respects, the armor and precision of German warships were useless, because once they were outmaneuvered in the "T" formation and placed in an unfavorable position, they would always find themselves in a disadvantageous situation where one warship was facing several enemy ships at the same time.

Even though Germany had more warships than the British, this was still the case.

(Note: In naval battles, warships usually move in a long, straight line. Once they form a square formation, the speed of the left and right flanks will be uneven when changing course, making the fleet move slowly and orders difficult to transmit in time, which is very cumbersome. However, the disadvantage of this tactic is also obvious. If the speed is not as good as the enemy, the enemy will likely occupy an advantageous position.)

“Then let them occupy the ‘T’ position,” General Scheer said confidently.

……

Before the enemy and our fleets even made contact, seaplanes were already engaged in aerial combat.

However, it was clear that the German seaplanes had the upper hand.

Inspired by Charles, Admiral Scheer emphasized the importance of naval air superiority. He knew that aircraft on the battlefield were not only a matter of intelligence, but also a matter of whether or not "torpedo planes" could be used.

Once British seaplanes completely overwhelmed German forces, it would likely mean that German torpedo planes would be unable to drop torpedoes.

Therefore, Admiral Scheer used the most advanced aircraft engines on seaplanes in an effort to gain the upper hand.

One by one, British seaplanes were shot down, and Admiral Scheer wore a relieved smile.

The British fleet, however, seemed unconcerned, as they still believed that "seaplanes are meaningless when enemy warships are in sight."

The British forces remained unchanged, constantly changing direction and maneuvering by taking advantage of their speed.

The entire fleet slithered around the High Seas Fleet like a long snake, sometimes getting close and sometimes moving away, and occasionally sending out a few high-speed battlecruisers to approach the High Seas Fleet and fire a few shots to disrupt the German movement.

The British are very good at this.

Its ultimate goal was to throw the German High Seas Fleet into disarray or to allow the British fleet to seize the "T" position due to a single mismanagement.

Admiral Scheer was very patient, and he directed the fleet to handle the situation carefully.

It wasn't until more than an hour later that a flaw was revealed, and the flagship led the fleet straight toward the British fleet.

The British fleet opposite him immediately seized this rare opportunity.

"Half speed!" Vice Admiral Freddy, commanding the flagship USS Barham, shouted the order: "Prepare for battle!"

If the German High Seas Fleet does not change course, it will plunge headlong into the encirclement of the British fleet.

Even if they change course, they can't escape, Lieutenant Admiral Freddy thought. As long as the British fleet adjusts its speed and course, it will always be able to approach the enemy ships in a favorable position.

“You have already lost!” Lieutenant General Freddy felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Even if the German High Seas Fleet had more warships, it wouldn't change the outcome.

But just then, he noticed some discordant little black spots in the sunlight from the east.

(End of this chapter)