Chapter 14 Variations (1)
After a long and tedious voyage, at 3 pm on the 15th, the fleet of the "stay-at-homes" arrived off the north-east coast of Dogger Bank. This position was about 40 miles from the south edge of the Bank, some 200 miles from Jutland, and about 150 miles from the Danish coast.
Upon arrival at the designated intercept area, the well-trained German sailors began to operate like a precision machine. The German sailors and mid-to-low-level officers were familiar with Witt's command style, so there was no need for the commander to emphasize that even the stoker on the Lützow, who spent all day working in the engine room, knew that this time it was another solo action by the naval god of war. The object that could make the god of war take great pains and risk breaking through the ancient tradition of the Junker officer corps during the interval when the naval political storm had not yet subsided could only be Beatty with some ability on the other side of the North Sea, or a greater ambition existed.
The sailors and lower-ranking officers had no right or desire to inquire about the grand strategy of big shots, years of training and German national character were fully demonstrated at this moment, they only knew that General Westphal was different from those cowards who had been ground down by the Navy Department's wine and newspapers, they liked the feeling of going out and striking, yearning to compete on the high seas rather than becoming a fleet stuck in port! They proudly declared that they were Germans, and Germans were never afraid of war!
The damage control team members, dressed in dark uniforms, shuttle back and forth between the narrow corridors of the main ship's cabin, sorting out damage control equipment such as leak-stopping materials, leak-stopping boards, leak-stopping boxes, canvas ropes, ribbed frames, fire extinguishing systems, sandbags, etc., and placing them in convenient locations. The watertight compartments are also checked, including the electric watertight door circuits operated by the central control system, longitudinal bulkheads, water injection and firefighting pumps, sea valves, as well as the ammunition depot's explosive powder dust removal equipment and emergency water injection system. The status of these systems is a top priority for inspection. As for some infrequently used cabin watertight doors and corridor connecting doors, they are thoroughly locked by experienced damage control team members. At the same time, the damage control team must also put the flammable living items of the crew members in a sealed fireproof cabin after detailed numbering, and the thick paint on the hull is "destroyed" mercilessly by the damage control team, just because it may attract sparks.
In a high-intensity naval battle, the importance of damage control cannot be overstated. Although the sea surface temperature in the North Sea was less than 10 degrees Celsius, the cramped and dimly lit passageways on the warship were hot and humid, forcing damage control team members to roll up their sleeves again and again as they worked hard to complete their mission.
On the command tower, the optical rangefinder's left and right eyepieces were gently wiped clean, and the telephone lines between the command tower and the gun turret were carefully checked; in the cramped space of the gun turret, some gunners were exercising their bodies to relax their stiff muscles, and several technical officers were making final checks on the electric power-driven rotating device and hoisting machine for these hundreds-of-tons main turrets. In the ammunition loading room, several loaders were conducting simulated training against the firing table. Gas masks were solemnly put around their necks, a lesson learned from the Dogger Bank Sea Battle, although the gun turret already had perfect ventilation equipment, but the intense smoke generated by firing guns during high-intensity sea battles was still a significant test for the fully enclosed gun turret, and if the gun turret was hit or penetrated, the toxic gases produced by the explosion could easily destroy the combat effectiveness of a large-caliber main gun.
Coal-fired boilers cannot run at high speeds for a long time. In order to maintain the flexibility of warships, 2/3 of the boilers in the engine room were retained under the planning of technical officers, and the remaining 1/3 of the boilers also tried their best to keep them from going out. Even when sailing at economical speed, the range of German battleships was generally only 4,500 nautical miles, and high-speed sailing consumed coal amazingly. Therefore, making the most of limited coal resources is a compulsory course for every navigation officer on German warships.
The medical personnel on the warship began to gather medicine and surgical equipment, and rushed to rest. Perhaps those who do not understand the navy would think that medical personnel would be the safest soldiers on a warship, but in fact it is just the opposite of people's romantic imagination, rescuing the wounded on the deck where shrapnel flies, saving lives in the sea of fire, the medical personnel on the warship will only dance with handcuffs on the blade of Death's scythe that shines with cold light!
Inside the command tower, the captain and staff officers patiently listened to the detailed reports from various department heads on their combat readiness, quietly waiting for the flagship Levsov's charge signal.
At 15:40, the raging wind in the North Sea finally showed a tendency to stop, and the crisp sound of the flagship flag gradually became soft. A faint white mist was brewing on the surface of the sea, as if it was brewing something ridiculous. The emotional fermentation of the impending battle became more depressing and stagnant over time, and the excited mood of the sailors gradually calmed down, returning to the rationality that Germans were accustomed to.
"Betti won't stay in Heligoland Bight for too long, sweeping the North Sea is just an appetizer for Betti's overall plan, his goal is my First Reconnaissance Fleet of five battlecruisers, so he must hurry north before sunset, discover us, and put the line of battleships to a decisive battle at night. Night combat isn't easy to handle, but it's the natural ally of the British, because as the distance between our ships narrows, our advantage in warship defense will greatly diminish, while the British can play up their main gun caliber and number advantages."
Lützow, proudly flying the flag of the 1st Reconnaissance Fleet, cut through the waves with her massive hull, her 350mm main guns trained on the southern horizon where Beatty's fleet might appear. Wang Heiti stood in the sweltering wireless room, arms crossed over his chest, a string of orders bursting from his parched lips.
"Colonel Ingler, send out the 10 destroyers of the First Destroyer Flotilla to cruise in areas X and Y west of the scouting fleet. This way, within an hour, we can gain a visibility of at least 40 nautical miles. The Zeppelin is not equipped with six Friedrich FF-33 seaplanes that have a flight duration of over four hours? With nearly two hours until sunset, let them cooperate with the Second Destroyer Flotilla to search east and south for fifty minutes. This way we can gain at least 50 nautical miles visibility. Adding the Fourth Scouting Fleet deployed northwest of Heligoland Bay, it's almost a 100-nautical-mile blockade line, that's enough!"
Since the declaration of war on August 4, 1914, Wang Haitian's judgment on the maritime situation has rarely failed, and his accumulated temperament makes the introverted otaku who was always timid in the previous life become confident. Letting Betty come and go freely in Heligoland Bay, ambushing and counter-killing her on her way back, Wang Haitian thought that his plan was quite perfect, but there was always a little sixth sense that couldn't be explained lingering outside the entire scheme.
The telegraph room didn't have a sea chart, but an invisible one was already etched in Wang Haitian's mind. The otaku almost closed his eyes and saw the complex situation on the world's oceans in March. A not-so-wonderful inspiration flashed through the Navy General's confused brain. Wang Haitian concentrated, took a deep breath, relaxed his fists, and slightly raised his head, trying to grasp the problematic factor, even the solemn voice of the telegraph room officer couldn't be heard.
"Commander-in-Chief, urgent telegram from Admiral Scheer: The Third Scouting Group encountered the British fleet under Beatty in the Heligoland Bight 200 miles west of the defensive circle W. The light cruiser Bremen sank, the flagship Lübeck was heavily damaged and the Stettin lost power!"
"Damn it, the Third Scouting Group is done for!" The Bremen-class light cruiser had a standard displacement of 3,756 tons, with an internal horizontal armor deck thickness of about 25-30 mm and a sloping armor deck of 50 mm. It was equipped with 10 single-mounted 105mm main guns and had a top speed of 23 knots. The K?nigsberg-class light cruiser had a standard displacement of 3,390 tons, with an internal horizontal armor deck thickness of 25-30 mm and a sloping armor deck of 50 mm. It was equipped with 10 single-mounted 105mm main guns and had a top speed of 24.1 knots. These were considered to be among the better armored cruisers in terms of performance, and they held their own in the family of light cruisers around the world. However, when faced with the British First Battlecruiser Squadron, which boasted dozens of main guns exceeding 300mm in caliber and hundreds of medium-caliber supporting guns, the outcome was all too predictable for the Third Scouting Group's cruisers.
Due to the Kaiser's obstinacy, Germany's investment in light naval forces was somewhat insufficient, and although there were some improvements in the later stages of the naval arms race, the Germans still lacked modern light cruisers. The so-called First Scouting Group, Fifth and Sixth Scouting Groups were all old ships from the last century that could be retired. Although the Bremen-class and K?nigsberg-class light cruisers were both commissioned seven or eight years ago, every modern light cruiser was precious to the Germans.
In order to keep track of the movements of the Beatty squadron, the High Seas Fleet carefully deployed the 3rd Scouting Group consisting of three Bremse-class and one K?nigsberg-class ships, the 6th Scouting Group consisting of four Kolberg-class light cruisers, the 7th and 8th Scouting Groups consisting of eight Gazelle-class cruisers, and the 8th and 9th Torpedo Boat Flotillas led by a single Elbing-class cruiser. However, it was the 3rd Scouting Group that unfortunately drew the short straw. Vice-Admiral Levetzow leaned against the cold armor plating of the wireless room, feeling somewhat despondent.
"Not true!" Wang Haitian suddenly opened his eyes, and the somewhat weak figure that had been trembling since the battle at Duo Ge Er Sha Zhou Hai suddenly shook again. His face turned deathly pale as he said, "Perhaps I guessed wrong!"
