Chapter 4: Old Foes and New Enemies (Four)
I'll update another chapter first. I found that the chapter "Old Rivals, New Enemies" still needs 6,000 words to be completed, so I'll split it up and post it separately. I'll continue writing tonight, but the update time may not be the usual 7:30...
Tirpitz resigned, the stubborn old man who had been resentful of Wang Haitian for half his life actually resigned, and he even left a heavy mark on the Heligoland Bay victory honor book that Wang Haitian was proud of.
As she walked out of the conference room at Navy Headquarters, Wang Haiting felt dizzy in the narrow corridor. Tirpitz's resignation, Ingol's warning, and the painful memories of over a decade made the usually keen-witted otaku feel like he was going crazy, but every time he tried to concentrate his mind and think deeply, that terrifying inspiration would always slip away from his mind easily.
Wang Haitie was no stranger to this old and dilapidated building, having once served as the secretary of the naval office. He stumbled along in the naval headquarters building, following the memories of years past, turning several corners and passing by several turns, until he unconsciously arrived at the familiar yet strange door of the Imperial Navy Minister's office.
"Not Tirpitz, but Emperor Wilhelm!" It was as if a revelation had struck him, and the joy that had just dawned on King Haakon had not yet faded when cold sweat broke out on his chest and back.
In 1897, the feverish Wang Haitian published a shocking paper "On Asymmetric Warfare in the Era of Battleships". The principal of Kiel Naval Academy, Major General Raiche, treasured it and ordered the school to archive it and personally copied it by hand, solemnly presenting it to Tirpitz. Wang Haitian's almost prophetic prediction disappeared into the vast sea of documents at the Navy Department, with rumors saying that Tirpitz looked down on the paper, which was similar to Jules Verne's science fiction, and it was collected by the emperor who loved grandeur.
In 1898, the young and vigorous Wang Haitian had a fierce quarrel with Tirpitz, which evolved from an initial theoretical dispute into a purely personal vendetta. After falling out with Tirpitz, he was exiled overseas, serving successively as gunnery officer on a Far Eastern cruiser, mobilization staff officer in the Baltic Reserve Fleet, commander of a desolate East African naval infantry detachment, and finally, Wang Haitian, driven by desperation and tempted by a fat salary, abandoned his "safety above all" principle and ventured into the war-torn and perilous Istanbul, following the declining Ottoman Empire to its doom in the forsaken Balkans.
In January 1914, Hipper and Redler approached Tirpitz with a proposal to end the sixteen-year feud between Tirpitz and the Kaiser, but Tirpitz was unmoved by their words. He even went so far as to say that "I am not prepared to accept any views written or expressed by him, no matter how correct they may be, until he has rid himself of his disgusting pride and boastfulness."
In July 1914, under the auspices of General von Hipper, Wang Haitao was doing well in the High Seas Fleet, but the Minister of the Navy had decided not to give up on suppressing this unruly young man, repeatedly using Wang Haitao's outspoken and defiant attitude towards his superiors as an excuse to interfere with his promotion and appointment. If Hipper hadn't relinquished his position as commander of the Heligoland Bight due to health issues, perhaps there wouldn't have been Wang Haitao's heroic exploits in August during the war.
The stay-at-home thought that his enemies were Tirpitz, who looked at him with disfavor, and the old men of the Navy Department led by Georg von Müller. The former, although in a difficult situation, had high status and had the right to interfere in personnel appointments in the navy. The latter, although not holding real power, were either favorites or old friends of the emperor, or they relied on their age or were fearless. They had enough influence over the commander-in-chief of the High Seas Fleet, General Ingenohl, who was weak in character.
In Wang Haitian's view, the emerging Germany and the old world system must have a war, whether it is heaven or human harmony, this war is the best opportunity for Germany to break its shackles. In history, Germany was defeated in battle, but the workers' movement in the rear, the ravages of the Black Death, and the two-front war were only external factors; at root, Germany still lost due to a war of attrition.
For this, Wang Haitian, who was the commander of the Heligoland Bay Defense Command, played his cards to the extreme, tearing off the Royal Navy's "lone victory" cloak with one victory after another that was almost adventurous and gambling-like, using brilliance and glory to tell those old naval elders that the navy is always an offensive force. After being promoted by the Naval Department, Wang Haitian didn't feel depressed either. He still fantasized about persuading the emperor, excluding the interference of Tirpitz's old guy and the naval department's elders, and shattering the British sea blockade.
The otaku, who was familiar with the cruelty of World War I and the desolate situation after Germany's defeat, may not have been without fear in his heart. However, he was not a person who idled away his youth. Since he had settled down in Kiel, there were enough things on this beautiful land that required him to stay and protect it, leaving no room for Wang Haitao to retreat. On August 4th, the war bugle sounded, and Wang Haitao stepped forward without hesitation. The sense of responsibility and mission that had been cut off by thirty years of peace and the diplomatic policy of the world were gradually regained. Wang Haitao tried to regain the low morale of the Grand Fleet with his heroic posture, and tirelessly sought to provoke a fight in front of the massive Royal Navy to regain control of the war.
Just as Wang Haitian was regrouping and shouting, the otaku suddenly discovered that what he needed to challenge wasn't some outdated old men, and Tirpitz wasn't his true enemy. On the contrary, perhaps the person who had been secretly manipulating him all these years wasn't the German Emperor, but Tirpitz!
In 1894, Wang Haitian met with his lifelong enemy, Tirpitz. At that time, Tirpitz was not yet the creator of the High Seas Fleet, and Wang Haitian did not have the great reputation he has today. The casual conversation on campus did not shock heaven and earth, but Captain Tirpitz's appreciation for the notorious Wang Haitian at the time was beyond words. Tirpitz even advised Stenzel to be more tolerant and understanding of the slow-witted Wang Haitian.
In 1897, Wang Haitian first proposed the concept of "asymmetric warfare", which caused a stir and was immediately shelved by the Navy Department. The rumors about the Navy Department had also been heard by Wang Haitian, but during his tenure as secretary of the Navy Office, Wang Haitian clearly saw the article "On Asymmetric Warfare in the Era of Battleships" locked in a cabinet by Tirpitz, with red pen criticisms all over it. Young and ignorant Wang Haitian thought that was evidence of the rumors, but now thinking back, perhaps Tirpitz valued Wang Haitian's thesis more than anyone else. At least after Fisher oversaw the construction of the Invincible-class battleship and perfect cruisers, the Germans quickly came up with the Nassau-class battleships and Von der Tann-class battlecruisers, whose design level and performance data were even better than those of the British.
In 1898, Tirpitz had a violent argument with Wilhelm, and was subsequently frozen out and exiled for sixteen years. In 1914, thanks to the intercession of Hipper and Raeder, Tirpitz was finally able to return to the High Seas Fleet. Tirpitz had every reason to be grateful to Kaiser Wilhelm, but Raeder had been appointed commander of the Kaiser's royal yacht Hohenzollern in 1909, giving Tirpitz cause to suspect the Kaiser's role in his reinstatement.
In the early July 1914 meeting of the Navy Department, Wang Haitong fiercely criticized the unclear ocean strategy of the high-level navy. At that time, the house boy was on the air, and he did not realize that the Minister of the Navy Cabinet, George von Müller, was just a jester; the old men of the Navy Department still had influence, but they did not have the power to decide the strategic direction of the empire. At this time, the most prestigious person in the Navy Department was Admiral Tirpitz, and the one who held real power was Admiral Ingenohl, commander of the High Seas Fleet. Although they had their own flaws, they were both outstanding naval commanders, and even if they couldn't come up with constructive opinions, they wouldn't let the ocean strategy of the second-ranked German Navy be self-contradictory and unclear. It should be known that the number one hypothetical enemy of this fleet created by Tirpitz was the British Empire. Wang Haitong also did not realize that he could escape Müller's pursuit and unexpectedly promoted to colonel at the end of July, becoming the commander of the Heligoland Defense Command, was just a double reed played by Tirpitz and Hipper.
Wang Haitie suddenly understood why the navy had been frantically building main battleships over the years, but refused to provide enough cruisers and auxiliary ships for the Ocean Fleet; Wang Haitie suddenly felt that the navy's use of new technologies over the years was conservative, yet they could easily catch up later; Wang Haitie suddenly understood why General Ingol, who had been passionate about the creation of the Ocean Fleet ten years ago, became softer as he rose through the ranks; Wang Haitie finally understood why Tirpitz had to resign quietly despite winning the Battle of Heligoland Bay.
"The person who has been manipulating my fate for over a decade, making me write reports in vain, and causing the High Seas Fleet to take detours is not Tirpitz." A burst of emotion surged in her heart, and Wang Haiting suddenly turned to look at Schloss Charlottenburg, her bright blue eyes filled with a bloodthirsty gaze: "The High Seas Fleet has never belonged to Alfred von Tirpitz, the Imperial Navy Minister, nor to Admiral Reinhard von Ingenohl. It doesn't even belong to the German people! The only ones who truly control the fate of this fleet are the House of Hohenzollern, the Emperor of Germany!"
