One Hundred and Eighty-One Big Ships and Cannons

Compared with the Army and Air Force, the German Navy has always been in a very awkward position. (Starting) On the one hand, they are extremely valued by the head of state, but on the other hand, they have embarked on a development path that even they themselves do not believe.

On September 13, as soon as the war started, the command of the German Navy became a mess. Compared with the army's expectation of war; the air force's confidence in the future; the German navy's inferiority complex buried deep in the bone marrow under the shadow of the British Royal Navy made them full of fear for the upcoming war.

"We strongly recommend that the head of state launch a war next year, but the bastards of the army and air force still made the head of state make an unwise choice." Raeder looked at the complicated blueprints for the navy, and said to Denitz, the commander-in-chief of the navy's submarine force. complained.

Doenitz sighed helplessly. He worked overtime to supervise the manufacturing of submarines, frantically producing submarine troops, hoping that the German Navy could restore the size of the submarine fleet in the past, but the sudden war still disrupted his steps. .

He glanced at the map, pointed to Beihai and said, "I suggest that the surface fleet go to sea immediately! We can't let the British Navy block the naval port, and the aircraft carrier will be even more dangerous."

Raeder frowned and said: "You think I don't want to go out? Two new aircraft carriers are being installed. If I don't wait for these two aircraft carriers to join the combat force, I won't have the strength to face the Royal Navy at sea! Could it be that my fleet Go out to die?"

"I have deployed forty submarines and formed ten search formations to provide you with intelligence and reconnaissance in the North Sea." Doenitz said, "We can't defeat the Royal Navy, but we can avoid the main British fleet at sea. , you can still give it a try.”

"Sometimes I really envy your submarine force." Raeder glanced at Dönitz, then sighed and said, "Oh...you can't beat it, just dive into the water."

"It's useless to complain!" Dönitz smiled. "Notify the fleet to set off! After dealing with the British for a month, you will have additional troops!"

"What about the Danzig Corridor?" Raeder said, "In the proposed plan, the navy must support combat operations in the coastal areas of the Danzig Corridor. We only sent so little troops there, can it work?"

"The head of state will understand us!" Dönitz clicked on the map and said, "In order not to let the British * force cut off the import of Swedish iron ore, our main fleet must maintain a deterrent force. Therefore, we cannot allocate more troops to participate in anything." The cover is on."

"En! Then I will send a telegram to the squadron!" Raeder nodded and said: "Order them to cover the army and start operations! Always make some superficial articles to stop those who tell the truth."

"When I set sail with the naval fleet,

The base depends on you to command! Raeder stood up and said: "I will lead the fleet to evade the British Navy fleet based on intelligence, and hope that there will be no mistakes in the first sailing in a state of war." "

"Probably not." Doenitz said, "Although our navy lacks training and combat readiness, there shouldn't be any problem in escaping under the cover of aviation, right?"

Denitz looked at Raeder, and then remembered what the head of state said to him: Don't underestimate the British Royal Navy. It is a truly globally deployed navy with absolute quality and quantity advantages. In a decisive battle, it is the best policy to leave enough space for the development of the German navy and to find opportunities to surpass and defeat it in one fell swoop.

"According to the instructions of the head of state." After thinking about it, Doenitz said to Raeder: "Send the naval air force to scout around, and if you encounter a single British ship, eat them! If there is a Royal Navy main fleet, then retreat!"

"Fight guerrilla warfare at sea!" He pointed to Beihai and said, "We can't survive here! Just retreat to the combat radius of the shore-based air force! Catherine and Dick will never let the navy suffer!"

"General! The naval escort fleet has assembled outside the port." The adjutant came over and reported: "We should set off! The aircraft carrier Bismarck has already arrived, and the Zeppelin will leave the port in 15 minutes."

"Don't worry! I don't ask for merit, but for nothing! I have all the wealth of the German Navy in my hands, and I won't ruin it easily!" Raeder signaled the adjutant to go out with him, and solemnly told Denny Ci said: "It's your side, which is more worrying! The head of state doesn't seem to pay much attention to the international law on submarine warfare. You have to persuade him more to avoid stimulating the United States."

After speaking, he walked out.

On the afternoon of September 13, 1937, two hours after France declared war on Germany, 14 warships of the German Navy's High Seas Fleet, including two aircraft carriers, left the naval port and sailed into the icy North Sea.

"Long live the head of state! Report to the captain! The headquarters is calling!" A first officer walked up to the captain of the German Navy destroyer wearing a white hat, stood at attention and saluted, and then handed the message to the captain.

The captain took the message, looked down, and immediately ordered: "All artillery is ready! Raise the battle flag! Aim at the Polish coast! Speed ​​up!"

"Captain, according to the information obtained from the transport fleet a few days ago, the Poles have newly deployed mines in the nearby waters... Is it true, should we not speed up?" The first officer was stunned for a moment, and then asked.

"What you said is also reasonable, so don't speed up yet, move slowly along the coast, pay attention to adjust the course, and don't get into the range of the Polish coastal defense gun fire." The captain nodded and said.

This is a German naval task force with only three warships, one cruiser and two destroyers, deployed in the coastal waters of Poland as support for coastal operations in the Danzig Corridor area. However, given the status quo of the German Navy, if the aircraft carrier is not dispatched to provide support, it seems difficult for the rest of the warships to adapt to this traditional naval role.

Because in the traditional naval role, ground support is given to battleships or heavy cruisers with large-caliber naval guns. Those are often 381mm and 280mm caliber cannons. Defensive forts on the enemy shore are up.

But nowadays, in addition to the big killer aircraft carrier, the German Navy has light cruisers and destroyers. These two types of small ships are only equipped with high-level dual-purpose guns based on anti-aircraft weapons. The largest caliber is only 150mm, and most of them are only 88mm. Millimeter guns - this caliber is too small to deal with coastal defense guns, so Raeder could have moved out at least 10 warships, but only sent three pitiful ones.

Originally, the caliber of the artillery is not dominant. If a warship wants to attack coastal defense artillery, it can only rely on speed and evasion to fight mobile warfare. It also affects the attack accuracy of its own artillery), but the Poles deployed mines in the nearby waters and cooperated with coastal defense artillery for defense, which created a very troublesome problem for the German fleet.

"Fire! Attack the port facilities!" Seeing that the fleet command flag was hoisted on the cruiser, and the two destroyers were informed to attack with lights, all the guns of the destroyer at the front were pointed to the starboard side, and the captain took a deep breath. He ordered in one breath.

"Boom!" The 88mm gun spewed out flames. There were five 88mm single-barreled guns on one destroyer, and 10 on two ships. Together with the three 150mm single-barreled guns on the cruiser, 13 guns fired in salvo. 』The scene still looks grand.

On the other hand, it was very quiet. The black smoke from the shell hitting the target could already be observed with a telescope, but the counterattack from the shore fire artillery still hadn't arrived. So the three warships got closer and closer to the coast according to their own routes.

"Let's hope that the Poles won't fight back." The captain put down the binoculars and murmured. He obviously has no idea about doing such an unsuitable job for his battleship. He would feel more at ease if his warships were used for air defense.

The Poles obviously didn't want his idea to come true, and soon a column of water several stories high splashed around the battleship, accompanied by a huge explosion, shaking the entire battleship. In the fortifications near the port, the Polish big The caliber coastal defense guns began to counterattack. Judging from the fact that one attack was almost missed, the quality of the defenders was obviously very high.

"Enemy artillery fires!" The observer sailor reported loudly: "Nearly missing a bullet!"

"Accelerate to evade!" The captain was still impatient because of his youth: "Immediately evade sailing! If the hull is hit by such a large-caliber shell, it will be completely over."

"Send a signal to the command ship! Let them change out of the waterway immediately! The enemy's artillery fire is very fierce! It is not suitable for destroyers like us to attack!" The captain thought for a while and added: "We will also find a chance to escape."

"Full left rudder! Head to the true north!" The adjutant loudly issued the captain's order: "Keep firing the tail artillery! Observe the sailors and take their positions! Pay attention to the water surface! Avoid mines!"

"Attention! The enemy's artillery is shooting!" The observing sailor reported again: "Nearly missing a bullet!"

"Captain! The command ship has sent a signal! They have already started to leave, wish us good luck." The first officer glanced at the telegram report handed over by the signal soldier. It may be due to the attack of Polish coastal defense artillery fire. From just now, the semaphores and lights on the flagship have become "chaotic", so we have to rely on the slowest telegrams to notify the news.

"A sea mine is suspected ahead!" An observing sailor reported loudly.

"Slow down! Reverse the engine!" The captain ordered loudly: "Which side is the ship?"

"Starboard bearing!" The sailor replied loudly: "It can be avoided!"

"Continue to turn full rudder!" The captain ordered.

The speed of the ship slowed down suddenly, it seems that the power room started to reverse. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, it seems that they avoided the mine.

"Balls!" cried the observer sailor.

The hull trembled suddenly with the shout, and then a huge explosion sounded. In the process of swaying here and there, the captain's final consciousness was clearly imprinted in his mind: It's over! Hit by a shell!

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Long Ling has something to do today, the update of the second chapter is estimated to be late, readers please understand!

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