Chapter 3: The Naval Battle in the Fog (Three)

  August 23, 1914, 4:49

  Honestly, the darkness before dawn, Heligoland Bay is calm and peaceful, in the humid air without wind, the fog gradually condenses, and it will envelop the entire bay in no time.

  Near Dogger Bank, a British fishing boat was hauling nets with great care in the faint light of one star.

  Since the outbreak of war, the Royal Navy had suffered a string of defeats, losing one pre-dreadnought battleship, three old armored cruisers and three D-class destroyers in less than twenty days. On August 12, three armored cruisers were lost at once, and on August 16, the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS King George V was sunk by a mine in the North Sea off Dover Strait. The Channel Fleet became mired in a quagmire of mines and submarines, while the Harwich Force reduced its defensive perimeter after losing three D-class destroyers, limiting its activities to within 100 miles of the coast to guard against German U-boats. The Grand Fleet, under Admiral Jellicoe's cautious policy, passively defended Scapa Flow, facing off with the High Seas Fleet across the North Sea. The only British success was the sinking of the German submarine U-15 by the light cruiser HMS Birmingham on August 13. This dismal situation made First Lord Winston Churchill feel embarrassed and defensive, as public criticism of the Admiralty mounted in the press.

  In stark contrast, German warships were rampaging unchecked in the North Sea, with U-boats and destroyers pursuing and destroying all vessels that dared to fly the White Ensign. The arrogant British finally realized that the North Sea was a terrible battlefield, not a safe Lake Geneva, even if their fishing boats flew Nelson's Z flag on the mast. The British Empire Navy had been glorious for over a hundred years, and its enemies would not feel any pity for it. Just like the other day, a Satanist named Heide-Selheim ordered the expulsion and seizure of all British ships within the 200-mile defense circle of Heligoland Bay. German submarines and destroyers with speeds exceeding 30 knots frequently emerged, chasing a group of British fishing boats and merchant ships into chaos.

  "Roy, what are you still dawdling about? Hurry up and haul in the net, the German patrol boat is coming!" The fishing boat captain's expression was somewhat tense as he urged his 16-year-old son to pull back the fishing net.

  At sixteen, Roy was deaf to his father's bellowing, standing stock-still at the ship's rail, staring out into the fog-shrouded vastness of the North Sea, muttering a prayer to God.

  "Roy, are you thinking of... discussing... fighting..." The rattan whip that the captain had just picked up slipped quietly from the fisherman's rough hands and fell to the side of the boat, hitting the hull before falling straight into the sea. The captain opened his mouth wide-eyed, like his son in a trance, drawing crosses with his fingers, unconsciously singing "England's Song", which had been sung by the British for several centuries:

  "This is because our supreme Lord,"

  He made the rivers and lakes dry up.

  "He has opened up for us a road leading directly to ultimate reality!"

  August 23, 1914 at 4:51 am off Dogger Bank in the North Sea.

  A fleet of light cruisers, destroyers and submarines, in three lines abreast, took advantage of the thick impenetrable sea fog to pass rapidly one after another over the Dogger Bank, without hesitation making for the inner recesses of Heligoland Bight, that "Dragon's Den" of the British fishermen. The numbers were so great as to be almost bewildering, and the spectacle was so impressive as to make the blood of the little fishing boat's skipper boil with excitement.

  "Wow, Birmingham and Southampton-class light cruisers, D- and L-class destroyers, E-class submarines! Haha, it seems that the Harwich Force and Submarine Flotilla based in Harwich Harbour have all come out, Rear Admiral Tirpitz is finally going to take revenge!" The old captain was clearly familiar with his country's warships, and he narrowed his eyes as he reported the type and name of each battleship passing by. Just as the old captain was enjoying himself, he suddenly realized that there were several larger ships in a more distant sea area, their massive guns exuding an aura of slaughter, which could be clearly seen even through the thick fog. With his experience as a fishing boat captain, they were at least 20,000 tons.

  "Son, that's the Grand Fleet! The damned German fleet has finally made a move!" The old captain had obviously been bullied by the Germans for some time, and he excitedly jumped up and down, grasping his son's clothes, shaking his fist and cheering: "The days of Satan's apostle Heide-Selheim's arrogance are over! The era of German warships recklessly chasing British fishing boats is gone forever! We will avenge the hatred of the two tragic incidents at Dover Strait and Dogger Bank with interest this time! Haha, those German devils will regret starting this war!"

  The signal flags and lanterns lost their effect in the dispersing sea fog, so an old-fashioned D-type destroyer detached from the fleet and sailed over. Young British sailors raised a loudspeaker towards the small fishing boat and shouted:

  "This sea area has become a battlefield, return to port immediately!"

  "Dad, let's go back..."

  "I won't go back, I'll wait here for the great fleet to return victorious!" The young Roy seemed a bit scared, and the old captain patted him on the back with a scowl, shaking his head firmly: "I want to see our fleet tear down the Germans' last shred of dignity, make Heligoland Bay the burial ground of the Ocean Fleet's greatest glory, and turn the vast and rich North Sea into our own fishing grounds!"

  ****

  "Damn it, night watch is really torturing...". The German sailor on the watchtower yawned and complained to his companion.

  "Colonel Xilem warned that the British would launch a counterattack soon, let's be vigilant at all times." The comrade nodded, lit a cigarette and replied: "It's not that I don't believe the commander, but it's been so many days, and the legendary British devils haven't come yet..."

  At 5:58 on August 23, 1914, in the last gasp of night, four destroyers (G192, G193, G194 and G195) of the Second Flotilla of the First Scouting Group returned to port under escort by the light cruiser Kolberg. Thick fog was gathering, Heligoland Island was just ahead, and lookouts on each ship were more or less relaxed, unaware that only 1.5 nautical miles away in the eastern sea area three British submarines were making a desperate attack, having just narrowly escaped death.

  At 5:14, Rear Admiral Reginald Tyrwhitt's Harwich Force of four cruisers, thirty-two destroyers, Commodore Walter Henry Cowan's Eighth Submarine Flotilla with three submarines and Rear Admiral William Goodenough's First Light Cruiser Squadron consisting of six Birmingham-class light cruisers formed the British striking force.

  This British "scratch" fleet was quite respectable, with Commodore Tyrwhitt having a total of 10 cruisers, 32 destroyers and 3 submarines, plus the support of the five capital ships of Admiral David Beatty's Battlecruiser Squadron. From intelligence from the Admiralty and scouting by the Jed-Keis submarine squadron, Commodore Tyrwhitt was well aware of the strength of the German defensive screen under Admiral Hebbinghaus.

  Heidekamp's command included the 1st and 2nd Torpedo-boat Flotillas, with a total of 16 torpedo boats, two minesweeper flotillas with 14 minesweepers, and the 1st U-boat Flotilla, which had nine U-boats (led by the light cruiser Hamburg). In addition, there was a light cruiser squadron attached to his command, consisting of four light cruisers (drawn from Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter's Second Scouting Force: K?ln, Mainz, Strassburg, and Stuttgart). On paper, at least, Thiele had a numerical and qualitative advantage; Heidekamp's ships were not concentrated, with only the two light cruisers Mainz and Strassburg and some patrol boats in port for maintenance.

  The British plan of attack was quite bold, with Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt's three submarines from the 8th Submarine Flotilla acting as bait to lure the German defenses around Heligoland into a trap formed by Harwich Force and the First Cruiser Squadron. The light cruisers Fearless and Arethusa, along with the 2nd and 3rd Destroyer Flotillas, would spearhead the attack against the German light forces, while Tyrwhitt himself would command seven light cruisers in reserve two miles to the north, ready to engage any German cruisers that appeared. Meanwhile, Commodore Jones's light cruiser Explorer and the 1st Destroyer Flotilla would be responsible for outflanking the Germans.

  Before World War I, the naval strength of Germany and Britain was not greatly different, and any slight mistake by either side could lead to a collapse of the situation and total defeat. In this tense standoff, the negative idea of preserving ships and men not only prevailed in the German Navy but also had a large market within the proud Royal Navy.

  At 5:45, the three submarines of the eighth submarine squadron, led by Jellicoe, who was eager to fight, took the lead in advancing into the Heligoland Bight. Jellicoe's expedition was not as ambitious as that of the Crusaders, but rather with a tragic psychology of "I will not go to hell, who will go to hell". Thirty minutes passed, and Commodore Jellicoe, who was rushing forward, could almost see the 30-meter-high red cliffs of Heligoland Island in the periscope. However, on this long journey across the sea, not even a small German fishing boat had been encountered. The bait had no hunter to lure, and Jellicoe was getting anxious in the cramped submarine cabin.

  Jade Kesh can only wish that some reckless guy would crash into her, while burying Heidi Sylem's slackness on defense.

  Jade-Kaiser was actually wronged, just as Jade-Kaiser performed a doomsday-like sprint, the four destroyers of the 2nd squadron of the 1st Sea Patrol Fleet returned to port under the escort of the cruiser Kolberg, and the German fleet, which was eager to return home, failed to discover the British submarine. On the contrary, the anxious British submariners also failed to find the German destroyer, and both sides passed by each other across the sea fog.

  At 06:24, Commodore Jellicoe was still unable to find anything that could be called a hunter, so he made a desperate decision that left the British people who were suffocated by the Grand Fleet in 1916-1917 stunned and terrified - the submarine surfaced and fired at Heligoland Island!

  I can't hold it anymore, shamelessly asking everyone to recommend and collect. Alas, the current collection amount is only 254, really pitiful...

  ;