Bismarck

It must be repaired right here in Gibraltar... and after that it must be repaired in a large repair shop with the necessary facilities?!

"This... this news is true..." The secretary was about to cry: "I have asked the Gibraltar base and General Cunningham. Now Gibraltar has sent an anti-submarine fleet and a tugboat team to rescue... but the Italian submarine seems to have escaped..."

"In other words, there is no way to send reinforcements to encircle Lütjens..."

Churchill dejectedly let go of his secretary's tie, sat down on the chair unwillingly, lowered his head and said nothing.

The secretary opposite couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Churchill lowering his head.

After a long while, Churchill seemed to calm down. He looked up at his secretary who was as silent as a cicada, shook his hand and muttered to himself: "Forget it... Go and inform the Admiralty to rescue the three damaged aircraft carriers for me!"

"You must get it back for me. No more of the Royal Ark situation is allowed! If one of them sinks, I'll send them to court-martial!"

The secretary, who was as if he had been pardoned, bowed and left. As the secretary gently closed the door, Churchill took out a cigar, lit it, and took two deep puffs, before he relaxed his fat flesh that was trembling with anger.

"Huh... Never mind. Lütjens is going to France. If he is under the nose of the British Empire, there are plenty of ways to deal with him!" Although he forced himself to calm down, he still gritted his teeth. But at this moment, the red emergency communication phone on the table rang with an ominous ringtone...

Churchill's heart skipped a beat and he picked up the phone tremblingly. The voice that came from the phone was the First Sea Lord's grief-stricken voice.

"Report to the Prime Minister... The fast fleet reports... Half an hour after the first wave of air strikes, the Zeppelin was attacked by a second wave of air strikes, with twelve Stukas... The Formidable was hit by two more bombs and completely lost its combat effectiveness. It must be overhauled... And the Furious... The Furious... is finished... Boom!! Beep... Beep... Beep..."

The red emergency telephone was smashed to the ground by Churchill's big fat hand, and died...

Ps: The original group is full, thank you for your support~ Welcome to join the new group, the shivering Persian cat, group number: 573666910, well, it’s just created, there aren’t many people yet.

ps: There will be another chapter later. Of course, all the kids in this group know that it is about a promise (funny face). In short, today's chapter is 8000 words, so please give me a reward quickly.

We will be unhappy if we don’t reward you!

Chapter 325: Hindenburg and Ludendorff

Since it was Reger who invited him, Yamamoto of course happily agreed. He also wanted to see what the so-called strongest battleship of the Germans looked like - even though he learned from Reger that the strongest battleship they thought of was not stronger than the Yamato he knew.

"Commander, can the Germans really build such a large battleship?" After returning to the hotel, Nan Yun asked his superior Yamamoto with some concern.

The standard displacement is 53,000 tons. What an astonishing number. You know, their flagship, the Nagato, has a full load displacement of only 42,000 tons. The difference between full load and standard load is...

Although they are allies, it is not a good thing for the other party to be too strong, right?

"Nanyun, don't worry." Yamamoto patted his subordinate's shoulder indifferently. "The purpose of our visit this time is only for aircraft carriers. Germany's battleship technology is not the focus of our inspection. Although the German battleships have a large tonnage, their firepower is seriously insufficient. Our Nagato-class has a displacement of more than 30,000 tons, and the caliber of the naval guns has reached 410 mm. Their current flagship Bismarck has a displacement of 40,000 to 50,000 tons, but the caliber is only 380 mm. The gap is too big."

The most important thing is that since the Yamato class was top secret, even Nagumo didn't know that such a super battleship existed, and Yamamoto couldn't say it, so he could only comfort him in this way.

But he was not wrong. The Germans' shipbuilding technology was not very advanced. Last time, even the Zeppelin was modeled after the Japanese Chicheng. What surprised him was that a country that had just started using aircraft carriers could use them so skillfully. This was what interested him most.

I hope to get some inspiration and have a conversation with the aircraft carrier commander.

"Eva, have you called Bismarck? Ask her to come tomorrow." Hitler looked at his watch, put down the documents in his hand, and said to Eva.

"Not yet. Didn't she just come here today?" Eva asked puzzled.

"Don't you want someone to accompany you? Bismarck is not a human being, and doesn't have so many ambitions and schemes. I feel relieved if she accompanies you." Hitler smiled and said, "I am usually very busy, you know."

"Yeah," Eva smiled shyly, although she knew that Hitler wanted her to spend more time with Bismarck in order to win over Bismarck and Lütjens.

Eva called, and first it was Lütjens's housekeeper, and then Bismarck answered. She first asked Bismarck how he was doing today, and then proposed to take Bismarck to Berlin for a walk. Bismarck, who had nothing else to do, naturally agreed.

"Then I'll ask the driver to pick you up tomorrow." Eva hung up the phone.

"I'm going to Berlin with Bismarck tomorrow."

"Did she answer the phone?"

"Of course she answered it?" Eva asked doubtfully. "Adolf, is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm just asking casually." Hitler said with a smile, "You go to sleep first. I suddenly remembered that I have something else to do. I'll be back later."

Under Eva's strange gaze, the man with a mustache walked to the study, picked up the phone and called his own admiral.

Although after the last incident, the mustache man severely punished Reger and saved Lütjens, Lindemann and the other three, but to be honest, this was also a helpless measure. Because of the irreconcilable contradictions between the ship girls (not the captains) and Reger, he still sided with Lütjens for the sake of the overall situation. If Lütjens was dealt with, these new warships might all be destroyed, and the entire German Navy would be devastated.

Therefore, the little mustache man used other reasons to deal with Reger and transferred Lütjens away. In this way, at least the strength of the German Navy was still there, and Lütjens was considered loyal to Germany.

However, this does not mean that he did not feel uncomfortable. Because of the ship girl, he was forced to make a choice in this matter, and this kind of being forced was very uncomfortable for a leader. Moreover, the command of those warships was not in his hands until now. All he could do was to get closer to Bismarck and Lütjens, but who could guarantee that Lütjens would not use it for other things?

After all, KanColle is a being that transcends humans.

Therefore, Hitler needed a ship under his control, and then turned his attention to the Hindenburg class.

In order to prevent Bismarck from possibly eavesdropping - although he trusted Bismarck, he still had to be on the safe side. Hitler first asked Eva to make a phone call, and then he called Reger with confidence. After all, Reger had rebuilt the German navy, and his prestige was still unmatched.

"It's me, Regal."

"Good evening, Führer."

"Does your captain have any report?"

Reger also knew what Hitler was thinking. In fact, he also wanted to control a few ship girls himself. Hindenburg was the best, but there was nothing he could do because the captain he sent did not report any special circumstances.

"Maybe it's because it hasn't appeared yet. My captain didn't report the appearance of any special person." Regler said helplessly.

"That should be the case. Lütjens said that Bismarck didn't show up at the beginning, so when you go there tomorrow, pay attention."

"I will, Führer," Regal nodded.

--

The next morning, Reger sent someone to pick up Yamamoto, and then they flew to Hamburg together. Goebbels' wife also went with them.

Generally speaking, a warship is a girl, and the launching of a warship is equivalent to the birth of "her". According to the religious tradition in Europe for many years, a lady is required to host the launching ceremony as the godmother of "her". Just like when the Bismarck was launched, the granddaughter of Bismarck's chancellor was invited.

Theoretically, if it was Hindenburg, the most likely candidate was the daughter-in-law of the late Weimar Republic President Hindenburg, that is, the wife of Major General Oscar von Hindenburg. However, Hindenburg Jr. worked as his father's secretary and political agent in the late Weimar Republic, and Hitler might be unhappy if he was invited. Historically, whether it was Hindenburg, the German Junker warlords, or big capital, there have always been voices of opposition to the policies of the little mustache. If it weren't for the fact that the little mustache had evidence of the little Hindenburg's illegal land speculation and tax evasion, and if the old Hindenburg was running out of time, and the Junker warlords and financial tycoons were fighting endlessly among themselves, the little mustache might not have become the head of Germany...

But this then becomes a problem as to who to choose as the female guest.

Eva is fine, but she usually doesn't attend public events, and she has to go out with Bismarck today - of course, this list was decided a long time ago.

So, in the end, Goebbels's wife was chosen. As the wife of the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, she could hold up the scene.

Besides, the launching of a new super battleship is a big event that the propaganda department would like to see, isn’t it?

Both Hindenburg-class ships were built in Hamburg, and at the same shipyard as the Bismarck - the Voss Shipyard.

After returning from the Soviet Union, Bismarck docked in Hamburg, but her main body only stayed there for a few days. After repairing some minor problems, she was transferred to Port Wilhelm under the command of the gunner.

Hamburg is a good place for a shipyard, because it is deep inland and cannot be projected by local naval forces, so it can ensure safety and shipbuilding. However, it is not so good as a military port, because once a warship is deployed, it needs to pass through dozens of kilometers of rivers to reach the open sea, and there is no confidentiality at all, and it is easy to be surrounded and intercepted by the enemy.

But it was precisely because of this that Bismarck did not meet Reger.

Yamamoto, Regel and his team arrived at the launching site.

The procedures were almost the same. First there was a speech, then various speeches, and finally Goebbels's wife personally smashed a bottle of champagne on the bow. As the rich aroma of wine filled the air, the slide opened, and the giant ship slowly slid down to the stage that belonged to her.

Of course, the Hindenburg was now a completely empty ship, or rather a hull. Not to mention the guns, even the bridge and turbines were not installed. There were only huge holes on the deck, reserved for the turrets and bridge. However, even this empty hull had already left an incomparable shock to the Japanese representatives who came. The platform they were standing on was exactly where the bow was, and they could touch the huge battleship with a stretch of their hands. The contrast between the people and the battleship was even more obvious. Even in terms of the hull, it was much larger than the Japanese Nagato class. Many people, including Nanyun, were not very comfortable. The German Bismarck class was already larger than the Nagato, and now the Hindenburg appeared...

Perhaps Yamamoto was the only one who looked calm. He watched with interest as the first ship of the Hindenburg gradually left the slipway.

"Marshal Reger, this is such an exciting moment," he said with emotion.

"Hahaha, General Yamamoto, this is nothing. In a few days, the second Hindenburg-class ship will be launched here." Regler said proudly.

"What? Ship number two?" Yamamoto asked in surprise.

Although the Hindenburg class was nothing in Yamamoto's eyes, if two Hindenburg class ships were launched in succession...

Yamamoto was really a little surprised this time.

"Yes, the second ship Ludendorff was originally planned to be launched today together with the Hindenburg, but unfortunately something went wrong and it can only be delayed for a few days." Reger said with a little complacency, "General Yamamoto would have been able to see a more spectacular scene."

"That's such a pity, Marshal Reger, may I ask, is the second ship also being built here?" Yamamoto found it a little unbelievable.

"Look over there, Ludendorff's shipyard is across the street." Reger pointed.

Sure enough, there was a huge figure in the tall dock opposite. Yamamoto hadn't noticed it just now, but now he could see it clearly under Regler's instructions.

"This is just my first step in reviving the German Navy!" Reger looked through Yamamoto's head and into the distance.

--------

Amid cheers, the huge battleship's stern first hit the water surface, splashing huge water. Soon, the entire bottom of the ship was submerged in the water. In the next year, Hindenburg and Ludendorff will begin to be loaded on the dock of the shipyard, loading their weapons, hearts and various equipment at once. It is conservatively estimated that it will take a year before they can be put into service.

After the launching ceremony, Reger left his adjutant to accompany Yamamoto to tour the shipyard, while he himself went down to the dock. He wanted to see the Hindenburg, which was "highly anticipated", in person.

"As long as I can find Hindenburg's ship girl, I can..."

Redel was so passionate that even the smile on his old face looked so charming...

ps: Tizi, did you see this? This is the second chapter, 8300 words, you know~

Announcement, leave

Ahem, because I was so busy yesterday, I don’t know what to write today… So… Hahaha it’s okay hahaha it’s okay hahaha

Almost a hundred words!!! ...

This is the input method’s fault!

Chapter 325: Hindenburg Did Not Visit

After the Battle of the Mid-Atlantic, Lütjens stayed for several hours 300 kilometers south of the British fleet and finally recovered the returning German aircraft fleet.

To be on the safe side, according to the combat plan, before the Zeppelin's return group landed, the twelve BF109T fighters left on the Zeppelin aircraft carrier had already hung up the auxiliary fuel tanks and took off. According to the plan, they will perform a four-hour air patrol in the sky until the Zeppelin evacuates to safe waters.

Although they didn't know at this time, due to the second wave of bombing, in addition to the armored aircraft carrier HMS Formidable, which was completely damaged, the aircraft carrier HMS Furious, which had been severely damaged before and was being towed, was completely beyond rescue. Samoville had to reluctantly issue the order to punish them with torpedoes...

"Zeppelin aircraft carrier... bastard!!"

Angry and frustrated, Vice Admiral Samoville gritted his teeth and lowered his head, locking himself in the captain's room of the temporary flagship. After cursing for a long time, he had no choice but to punch the chart table with his fist and sat down at the table like a deflated ball...

Obviously, he, who led a fleet, was attacked by a single aircraft carrier. It is conceivable that after returning to the port, he will be "greeted" by the military police and the military court investigation team...

"Lütjens! Zeppelin! You...you are all bastards!!"

On the temporary flagship, Samoville's angry and helpless roar suddenly rang out...

On the other side, Zeppelin, his battle robe stained with blood and covered in dust, had just landed from his original body and had been busy on the flight deck.

On the one hand, he had to supervise the deck landing officer and command the landing of other returning aircraft, and on the other hand, he had to count the number of returning aircraft and the list of sacrificed flight crews in real time, as well as listen to the pilots' reports on their own combat performance and make statistics... After waiting for more than two hours, the preliminary formal battle report was formed into a relatively systematic report and handed over to Lütjens' desk.

"... Two British aircraft carriers suffered devastating blows, and one British battleship suffered moderate damage. Including those that were deemed too heavy to be scrapped after landing, we lost a total of 87 JU109 bombers, BFT fighters, pilots, and rear machine gunners..."

"In terms of the deployment of carrier-based aircraft and decks, including the escort fighters that just took off, and the aircraft that were severely damaged after the previous air battle and need repair, we now have only fifteen JU87s and twenty-six BF109Ts that can continue to perform the mission... In addition, because there were too many aircraft dispatched at one time before, the recovered aircraft must be arranged to enter the hangar for maintenance, especially the twelve patrol fighters that were released before, and space must be reserved for them to land... So up to now, the preparation of the aircraft carrier hangar and deck has been very tight... In six hours, we have no ability to dispatch any aircraft to perform combat missions..."

"Finally, let's talk about the supply situation of the Zeppelin aircraft carrier. We only have 200 of the 20 heavy bombs we are rated to carry, so we can still hold out for a while. However, we only have % of the light bombs left, and only tons of aviation fuel left. That's about % of the report!"

After reporting to Lütjens and Bonte, Zeppelin handed the report to Lütjens and saluted with a naval salute.

"Although the result can be said to have destroyed the British fast fleet, the loss is still great..." Lütjens felt a little uncomfortable, but he didn't show it on his face. He nodded expressionlessly and took the battle report.

"Commander, I think... it's almost time for us to retreat. After all, the Zeppelin has no combat capability anymore. We need to keep the remaining planes to guard against reinforcements from the Glorious, and also to guard against direct attacks from the Americans..." Bangtai also suggested.

Lütjens looked at Bonte and Zeppelin below. Although his face was always serious, he was still very satisfied with their work. "Well, let's retreat. Zeppelin, go send a message to Lindemann. We will meet at the designated sea area and then go back!"

"Yes!!"

---

Reger walked down from the podium excitedly, leaving Yamamoto wandering around alone.

Hindenburg was now being slowly pushed to the dockside. The workers, soldiers and naval marshals present came over and stood at attention to greet him.

"Do your own thing and don't worry about me!" said Reger. He wanted to quickly prove the existence of Hindenburg.

Ignoring the curious looks around him, he walked straight to the bow of the Hindenburg, walked around it with great interest, and then knocked on the thick armor plate with his hand.

"Hindenburg, are you there?" he whispered.

No response...

Why, that's not right, he continued.

"Hindenburg! I am your superior! I am Admiral Reiger."

Still no response...

This is unscientific. If there were a ship girl, she would definitely come out. Oh, yes, there are so many people around now.

Reger thought that Hindenburg was afraid of exposing his identity, so he didn't come out. The last time, the Prinz Eugen ran out as soon as it saw its captain. The others shouldn't be that stupid. He thought Bismarck, Zeppelin, and even Tirpitz were relatively normal...

"If you hear it, find time to come and see me." After thinking for a while, Regler said.