Bismarck

"During the final assault, Flensburg was hit by anti-aircraft fire and he crashed his plane into the side of the Ark Royal."

Although there were only a few words of description, everyone could imagine the critical situation from Zeppelin's forbearing tone.

Under such circumstances, Flensburg still fulfilled his last duty as a soldier!

"Alas..." After listening to this, Lütjens just sighed. The person is already dead, it is too late to say anything.

Although Bangtai didn't say anything, Qi Peilin could easily tell from his expression that he was also very heartbroken.

Not only them, Bismarck and Zeppelin also felt the same way.

But···

"Then you will report." Lütjens waved his hand and reappointed, "You will replace Flensburg!"

"Yes!"

Flensburg was sacrificed, but the survivors still have to strive forward.

There were still some broken equipment, rolled steel plates, supporting iron frames in the Zeppelin hangar, and busy damage control personnel were cleaning up the wreckage after emergency repairs... At the other end of the hangar, next to several scarred aircraft, a simple memorial service was hastily held. Between the cold steel plates and scarred aircraft, the sad and solemn atmosphere, coupled with the smell of gunpowder and burnt smell in the hangar, seemed even more depressing and sad.

Even the weather outside has quietly changed from sunny to cloudy, as if even the sun doesn't want to see this sad scene...

“The living, the dead, those who have disappeared and those who have not disappeared, will all silently support and encourage us behind our backs as we continue to move forward…”

Accompanied by the low and solemn voice of the ship's chaplain, the chaplain turned around, pointed to the cross hanging on the wall, and made the sign of the cross on his chest with his fingers.

"May your heroic spirits rest in peace in heaven, and may the merciful God bless us...Rest in peace, Amen..."

As the priest finished his prayer, the sailors followed a certain order and lifted up the body bags containing the remains of their fallen comrades that were arranged in rows on the ground. They placed them on a special rack and slid slowly into the waves of the North Sea from the side elevator (which was originally converted from the position of the 150 gun turret at the right rear) to the accompaniment of the Requiem and the farewell volleys of the guards of honor.

Although Zeppelin and the pilots from the Air Force of the carrier-based aircraft wing were attending the traditional Navy funeral for the first time, they all felt the same grief. In the two brutal air battles in the morning and the morning, as many as 24 JU87s and 10 BF109Ts were lost in the air battles alone, and as many as 63 pilots and crew members were killed in the air, not to mention that dozens of ground crew members who were recovering the BF109Ts were also killed in the bombing.

Some people were lucky enough to survive the bombing of the Jaegers, but faced with the lethality of the 227KG armor-piercing bomb, they might have to spend the rest of their lives with broken limbs or even paralysis...

Lütjens and Bonte on the other side also looked unhappy. The heavy losses of the carrier-based aircraft were expected, but just after the carrier-based aircraft were released, the British air force base sent a bomber squadron. The formation, which had already suffered heavy losses, had just sent the last eight fighters to escort the bombers when it was bombed in turns by a large fleet of 32 bombers and 18 fighters...

Although they were all twin-engine bombers of the British Royal Air Force, their huge size and clumsy maneuverability made them not very suitable for anti-ship bombing, but they were a very strong threat to the German fleet that had already suffered heavy losses - especially to protect the Zeppelin aircraft carrier, whose steering gear had not been completely repaired during the bombing and was still hanging on the emergency rudder. The German fleet was forced to gather all its ships around the Zeppelin and defend it, and the range of free evasion became very limited... Although they shot down ten British bombers in the face of fierce and dense VT fuses, they also paid a heavy price...

A destroyer sank, Hipper was seriously injured by two heavy bombs, and Tirpitz rushed forward to block two torpedoes to protect Zeppelin! Although the ship girl had the ability to graze bullets and chose the position to catch the torpedoes so as not to cause greater damage, after all, there were two torpedoes, and the ship was also seriously injured: a big hole was blown in the bow, and the area near the boiler room in the middle was also "torn apart", and one boiler room was flooded, and the tilt reached 15 degrees. Relying on the desperate rescue of the damage control team and the adjustment of the ship girl herself, the injury was barely controlled until just now...

Be it Lütjens, the commander of the Grand Fleet, who was responsible for the safety of the entire fleet and the future of German maritime power, or Bonte, who was the first captain of the emerging aircraft carrier and opened the era of German naval aviation power, all were in a bad mood.

Especially for Bismarck, as an elder sister... after all, it was her younger sister who was injured.

and…

Usually, Grape, who always said "You go first, let me lie down for a while", bravely rushed towards the torpedo net dropped by the Zeppelin against the bomber this time... When she was injured by the torpedo, Bismarck heard on WIFI that Grape was gritting her teeth and not crying out in pain, but after a while she was secretly crying because of the pain. As a sister, Bismarck couldn't help but feel distressed, but apart from comforting her, there was no way to do more for her sister...

His own ship was not around, and there was nothing he could do except to comfort her.

Now Flensburg has also died...

Today is a dark day for the entire German Navy.

But! The battle is not over yet!

According to Zeppelin's observations before he left, there were at least two large battleships in the British fleet that had not suffered any damage, and until Zeppelin retreated to the limit of his observation distance, he saw that they seemed not to have given up the pursuit!

It is conceivable that the British fleet is probably chasing the German fleet home at a speed of 26 knots! The boiler room of Tirpitz was damaged and flooded, so the speed dropped to only knots. It was just with great difficulty that the water was controlled and several major damages were repaired. In addition, Tirpitz used her ability to smooth out the damage on the outside of the hull, reducing the resistance, and finally recovered to a speed of knots...

The trouble is really not small at all...

A burst of gunfire rang out, startling a group of frigate birds that were following the huge aircraft carrier and causing them to fly into the air.

As the pastor prayed for farewell, several more body bags slid from the edge of the elevator into the rough sea, floated slightly on the sea surface for a few times, and soon sank into the bottomless seabed...the final destination of the sailors.

The dead sailors at least have a place to rest and can be prayed for by priests, but what about the pilots who will never come back? What about the fighter planes that have crashed in unknown places?

Cruel war...

Bismarck adjusted his hat and looked up at the sky.

Behind the frigate birds that were startled by the gunfire and flew everywhere, dark clouds gradually began to cover the originally blue sky. Through the remaining gaps between the large dark clouds, the sun shone through to form beams of light, like golden avenues flying to the sky, illuminating the originally blue sea surface with a fragmented golden color. The strong sea breeze from the high-speed headwind sailing also blew in from the opening of the elevator, blowing Bismarck and Zeppelin's soft long hair into flying strands of silk.

Some of the petals that were thrown out were blown back into the hangar, as if an unknown slender hand was waving white petals towards the remains of the martyrs, and then took away the heroic spirits of the heroes who died heroically in the name of the Valkyrie of the Nordic Asgard...

ps: Please support me with your monthly ticket~ It’s the end of the month!!! Qianqiu has tried very hard to maintain full attendance this month...

Chapter 238: Fight Again

Bismarck looked at Zeppelin in his consciousness, and she also looked depressed.

Although I know she is not that fragile, but... this kind of thing would not be easy for anyone...

On the WIFI, even Tirpitz, who was still enduring the pain, was trying his best to comfort Zeppelin.

Although her grinning face made Bismarck want to laugh...

Bismarck stood on the periphery of the bridge, looking down at the ceremony on the deck.

It was very familiar because the exact same scene had happened on her ship.

The bulkhead behind her was riddled with holes from bombs from an air raid, and there was no time to repair them.

Just two or three hours ago, Zeppelin was comforting Bismarck, who had injured her rudder, and now it was Bismarck's turn to comfort Zeppelin, who had almost destroyed all of his carrier-based aircraft and whose captain was killed in the battle...

Standing silently by the side, with lifeless eyes, I watched the life that was once alive being put into a bag and carried onto the stretcher. Amid the sound of gunfire, mournful music, flying petals, and the gestures of my comrades raising their hands, I bid silent farewell with the sound of a handful of water falling into the sea...

The soldier, who originally appeared calm and capable on the outside but passionate on the inside, now exudes an aura of sadness from the inside out.

This must be the first time Zeppelin has encountered such a burial at sea, Bismarck thought. It was similar to the first time he held a burial at sea, but now - although he was still sad, he was more helpless. This was the inevitable price to pay for war.

There was an inexplicable feeling of reincarnation, but this was really not the time to joke. So many people had been sacrificed, including Flensburg, an old comrade who had been working happily with him since Dunkirk. Bismarck himself felt a little blocked in his heart, and then he looked at Zeppelin who was feeling even worse...

Even though he had just comforted her, Bismarck still felt that he should go over and comfort her again...

Bismarck walked over.

Zeppelin stood alone under the bridge, the salty sea breeze blowing her long hair high.

"What are you thinking about?" Bismarck walked to her side and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing." Zeppelin turned his head. "Why did you come down?"

"I was a little worried about you, so I came down to see you." Bismarck said casually.

"Worry about me?" Zeppelin laughed. "What could be wrong with me?"

She continued to look at the crowd.

"That's why I'm worried." Bismarck sighed and reached out to fix her flying hair. "I've also experienced a burial at sea. I know how you feel."

"It's not your fault. Everyone has his or her own destiny," she said solemnly.

Zeppelin stared at Bismarck.

After looking for a long time, she turned her head away in silence.

"I know this is not my fault, but we all misjudged the situation and were too optimistic. No one can shirk responsibility on this point," Zeppelin said with a sigh.

"Yes, we all know that we are better than the Royal Air Force in terms of both aircraft and pilots, but now, what do you think of this result?"

"There are too many of them. There is nothing we can do," said Bismarck.

"That's the problem. We only have one aircraft carrier, but they easily dispatched three... I used to be very confident that I was the strongest. As long as I was there, the attack would be victorious and we could all come back together. But now, I don't know if it is still right to insist. When Flensburg and others were hit, I who thought I was omnipotent could do nothing and could only watch!" Zeppelin whispered.

Frustrated?

Yes.

Bismarck grabbed her shoulders, and although the height issue made the action look a little ridiculous, her expression was very serious.

"I told you, Zeppelin, everyone has his own destiny. You are not a god. It is already remarkable that you have achieved this. Do you think you can shoot down all the British planes with just a glance? No, you can't!"

"Even though all the planes were shot down, is your record bad? Not bad at all!"

"All three British aircraft carriers were damaged. They can't recover their combat effectiveness in a short time. Moreover, this is the main fleet of the British. The blow to them is no less than to us. Besides, our strategy was to slowly wear them down. Their navy is stronger than ours, and there is no need to deny this. But - just because it is stronger than ours, should we not fight?"

"Honestly, Zeppelin, you are really amazing to be able to win like this in a 1:3 situation. I'm afraid Tovey must be jumping up and down right now. Really, don't blame yourself."

"I--"

"Who just told me not to blame myself and let the past be the past?" Bismarck sighed and said with a smile.

"Flensburg will help us win this war."

"kindness···"

Seeing this different Zeppelin in front of her, Bismarck suddenly felt that she was so cute. It was rare to see her so weak. She smiled wickedly and stretched out her hand to pinch Zeppelin's face, but at this moment...

"Sister, Zeppelin, the British fleet is catching up!"

Sure enough, good things are meant to be interrupted.

The voice of Grapes came from the WIFI, and Bismarck, who was grinning, and Zeppelin, who looked frustrated, were both stunned.

"Tizi, what's going on?" Bismarck was the first to react and asked on the WIFI.

"Sister! I found two large battleships, two heavily armed light cruisers, and six destroyers! The bearing is 90 degrees due east, the distance is 20 nautical miles, the course is 180, and the speed is knots! Lindemann said to report to the commander as soon as possible..."

"Okay! I'll report right away!" Bismarck hung up the WIFI, but still glanced at Zeppelin on the side...

The beautiful eyes with a hint of worry seemed to speak...

As if he understood Bismarck's eyes, Zeppelin reached out and held Bismarck's hand, and nodded gently in the direction of her eyes: "I'm fine, the enemy is coming, you go to help Commander Lütjens... I still have the last six fighters and seven dive bombers that can be deployed. The bombs and machine guns are all loaded. If we need to deploy, we can be ready soon..."

Before Bismarck could say anything, Zeppelin continued, "I'm fine now... Although Flensburg and the others died, we still have to be fine and go back safely together... Let's live with them..."

As expected, Zeppelin is still a very strong battleship! Bismarck nodded.

Pulling his hand free and touching Zeppelin's hair again, Bismarck jumped off the box and trotted to the captain and Bonte on the other side.

"Report! Commander, Tirpitz said she spotted the British fleet! Two large battleships, two heavily armed light cruisers, and six destroyers! Bearing 90 degrees due east, distance 20 nautical miles, course 180, speed knots! In addition, Zeppelin said she has prepared the last six fighters and seven dive bombers for battle and can be launched at any time."

"Hmm? Did they catch up?" The captain and Bangtai looked at each other and nodded.

After taking a look at the memorial service, the farewell ceremony for the body was almost over. The captain turned around and ordered: "Bismarck, call Zeppelin with you, and let's go back to the C3I command post first. Bonte, go and give the order to sound the alarm and prepare for battle! Also, have Zeppelin contact the Air Force to see if their planes have been dispatched..."

"Gu——" Halfway through the order, the captain's stomach made a standard protest sound...

Bismarck, Bonthe and Lütjens were all stunned by the voice-over.

This is fucking embarrassing...

After reacting, Bangtai quickly lowered his head to watch his nose and his heart, Bismarck quickly turned his head and covered his mouth with his hand. The captain, who was usually rigid and serious, also twitched his eyelids and mouth corners. He stretched out his hand to look at the watch: "Well... the time is... half past one in German standard time, which is eleven thirty in Greenwich time... Let the kitchen team deliver bread, butter and water to each combat position! We can't let the crew and pilots go hungry! ---- Go and execute it!"

The last sentence sounded a bit unpleasant.

Bonte and Bismarck suppressed their laughter and saluted at the same time: "Yes!"

More than 30 kilometers away from the German fleet, Admiral Tovey's battle flag was now hoisted on the Hood, indicating its status as the flagship of the fleet.

Commander Talitovich held the enemy situation report in one hand, while exchanging opinions with the staff around him. He also picked up a pencil and a slide rule and made a few marks on the nautical chart. Finally, he confidently placed the pencil and slide rule on the chart table and sneered disdainfully: "Humph, if we sail south from this position for a while, we can also cut off their escape route at the same speed! You are a bunch of defeated soldiers. Let's see where you can escape this time!"

"Commander, please have some tea—"

A blonde secretary wearing red-rimmed glasses walked up with a cup of tea and placed it next to Tovey with the elegance of a British lady.

Her appearance immediately made the atmosphere of the entire bridge relaxed, and the tension before the battle was diluted.

Everyone was staring at her fair and delicate face intentionally or unintentionally.

Secretary Elizabeth came on board the ship later. She was not a member of Hood's staff before and was brought on board by Tovey only after the ship was modernized. It is said that she had a very good relationship with Tovey. In addition, with her beautiful face and figure, she was always the object of pursuit by the young men on the ship.

Tovey, who was giving orders and feeling a little thirsty, took a sip of tea without hesitation: "It tastes good, thank you... By the way, please tell the signal group to send a flag signal: For the glory of the Royal Navy, assault and attack!"

"Yes, sir!"

The well-educated female secretary responded softly, turned around and walked away gracefully.

Soon, Tovey received a report that the Renown had replied with a flag message: "Our ship will defend the last honor of the Royal Navy to the death!"

"Morale can be used, hehe..."

Looking at the high morale of his subordinates, it seems that they have completely gotten rid of the impact of three aircraft carriers being severely damaged by one aircraft carrier of the enemy.

Tovey, who was always serious, couldn't help but smile. He glanced at the chart and checked his assumptions one last time, but found no obvious problems.

But soon, a staff officer came over and reported bad news.

"Report to the general, the air force called and said that several airports in the Norwich area were bombed by the main fleet of the German Air Force, causing heavy losses. It will take at least an hour before bombers can be dispatched..."

"...Tsk..." Tovey rolled his eyes, took the telegram from the staff officer, glanced at it and said, "They are so unreliable... If we let them run any further, they will be within the combat radius of the German aircraft... Forget it, let's rely on ourselves!"

After discussing with several staff members beside the nautical chart, the experienced naval veteran quickly made a contingency decision.