Chapter 6: The Falsified History (Part 2)

  "What are the chances of the British splitting their forces?" The dim light made Ingersoll's weathered old face look even paler as he took off his glasses and set aside the plan that several of the most outstanding young men in the Grand Fleet had collaborated on, asking softly.

  "Eighty percent!" No amount of bitter coffee could save the fatigue of fighting for two days and three nights, Erich Raeder's eyes were filled with bloodshot, leaning against the cold wall to cheer himself up: "Whether it is Churchill or the Royal Navy, they need to regain face in front of the world and boost morale. The East Asian Fleet, which has two large armored ships, is undoubtedly a ready-made achievement. The British have no reason to let go of the soft persimmon and find the Great Ocean Fleet to die."

  "If the British do not divide their forces, and the High Seas Fleet temporarily holds back, when Admiral Spee's East Asian Squadron reaches the Irish Sea, the British will be in a dilemma, while we only need one glorious victory like Trafalgar!" Colonel Wolfgang Wegener, another strategic genius of the German Navy and Chief of Staff of the First Battle Squadron, calmly pulled out his backup plan book and dispelled Engeln's doubts with ease.

  "As soon as the British fleet is divided, I will lead Von der Tann and Moltke to launch a surprise attack on the coast of Great Britain with Blücher. The British Empire has not been invaded by foreign enemies for hundreds of years, so perhaps once or twice the British Navy may not be able to react in time. But if we deliberately leave some weaknesses, under the pressure of the angry British people, the Royal Navy will definitely choose to ambush and destroy us. A little white lie and disguise, two battlecruisers and one large armored cruiser would not make the British mobilize their main fleet to fight with all their might. At most, only my old friend David Beatty's 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, consisting of Lion, Princess Royal, Queen Mary, and Tiger, four new battlecruisers, and Admiral Jellicoe's main fleet as a distant support."

  King Haite, with a military cap and a full beard, yawned and said in a drowsy tone: "My mission is to hold on to the First Battlecruiser Squadron as much as possible while preserving our warships. The final blow will be dealt by Admiral Hipper's two battlecruisers and Admiral Scheer's Third Battleship Squadron, consisting of four Kaiser-class battleships and two King-class battleships. And the British will meet their doom at Dogger Bank!"

  "General Sielem, although the plan of action is perfect, it's very unfair to you." Ingol looked at Wang Haitian with a worried expression: "The Blücher is just a large armored cruiser, and it can't even deal with a real battlecruiser. Von der Tann and Moltke are strong, but compared to the Lion-class and Tiger-class new-generation battlecruisers in David Beatty's hands, they are still one level lower. Sielem, maybe the reinforcements from the High Seas Fleet haven't arrived yet, and you'll be torn apart by David Beatty's new warships!"

  "Although the road ahead is fraught with difficulties..." The otaku listened carefully to his young and passionate heartbeat, recalling Brunt's calm and happy expression when he said this on the dock. He slightly raised his head and echoed: "But someone has to do some things, right?"

  ****

  The plans for the Battle of Dogger Bank were taken by Korvettenkapit?n Wolfgang von Tirpitz, whose distant uncle Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff was the superior of Kapit?n zur See Erich Raeder, Chief of the Admiralty Staff.

  The night was not deep, and the weather in Wilhelmshaven was slightly cool with a strong sea breeze. General Friedrich von Ingenohl, wearing his military uniform, sat at his desk, quietly flipping through the plan book that overflowed with the brilliant talent and innovative ideas of young people. R?der and Seyffardt, who had just returned from a few drinks outside, were huddled over the secretary's desk in the outer office, racking their brains to come up with a training plan for the Dogger Bank naval battle.

  November's North Sea is often foggy, and the planned Dogger Bank naval battle was another ambush. In the era of large-caliber guns without walkie-talkies or radar command instruments, coordinated attacks and cross-fire training between warships were quite important.

  "Rader, do you know the Magdeburg?" King Haitian, who had a few drinks, was slightly tipsy and a bit reckless. He knocked on his somewhat dizzy head, concentrated his mind to examine the training plan, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration appeared in the chaotic brain of the house man. He vaguely thought he saw something, grabbed Rader's sleeve hesitantly and asked.

  "What's going on?" As the head of the Operations Division of the Naval General Staff, Raeder was familiar with every ripple in the Grand Fleet.

  "Has the password been leaked?" Wang Haitian, with a surge of intoxication, burst out laughing and muttered unclearly: "It seems that history has already been altered beyond recognition..."

  Outside, the air was filled with the carefree and inspiring atmosphere of young people. Unconsciously, a bit of this unbridled enthusiasm spilled in, startling Admiral Ingraham from his contemplation. The commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet slumped against the soft cushion back, his thick hands gently stroking the furnishings and plans still scented with ink in his office. On the face of the gentle old man, a hint of regret flashed, shaking his head and letting out a heavy sigh.

  "This is an era where old generals wither away..."

  Before the Battle of Heligoland Bight, the eccentric Emperor was so afraid that his "darlings" would suffer any losses that he repeatedly ordered the High Seas Fleet not to take the initiative. On August 23, the Battle of Heligoland Bight, led by Admiral Hebbinghaus, drew in both the British Grand Fleet and Wilhelm's High Seas Fleet, and although the German Navy won a great victory, the Emperor was still frightened out of his wits.

  An enraged Emperor William had reason to be angry with the two young men who had "played with fire" in his fleet, Heidekamp and Hipper; Tirpitz saved them from a decent exit. With the colorful gunfire of Heligoland Bay, the Tirpitz era ended, and the Fischer era also ended. Tirpitz and Fischer, who had been sworn enemies for over ten years, almost simultaneously left office in an inglorious manner, and immediately after retirement, they pushed their chosen successors to the forefront, letting the commanders of the High Seas Fleet and the Grand Fleet escort them, waiting for the peak duel between the blockade war and the breakout war.

  However, Emperor Wilhelm insisted on keeping his "darling" confined. Wilhelm simply and stubbornly believed that the army could solve the war on land, Britain would choose a dignified way to surrender, and the High Seas Fleet would be used as a bargaining chip in post-war negotiations, allowing the German Empire to gain the greatest benefits from the war. The main force of the High Seas Fleet was banned, but the emperor did not understand that the resources and morale of the German army were being constantly drained on the Western Front. He also underestimated the courage of the sailors who yearned for battle, challenged the ocean, and pursued victory. Emperor Wilhelm was like a troublemaker, turning a breakout war aimed at breaking the sea blockade, gaining resources, and winning a war of attrition into a one-man show for the Royal Navy.

  "The Battle of Dogger Bank, whether we win or lose, I must step down. This time there is me to take the blame, next time there will be that old fellow Hezemans to stem the tide, but what about after that?"

  His fist on the armrest of the sofa loosened and tightened again, a good man who has never been a hindrance to others. His inner block is enough to accommodate the growth of young people such as Wang Haitian, Leidel, Oden, and Weigener. His persistence is enough to make him laugh at the ups and downs of his personal career, but he is after all the master of the German fleet, and as an official, he has a responsibility for the future of the German Navy!

  General Friedrich von Ingeloheim stood up, turned the creaky old door and asked the young man outside who was full of shortcomings but also full of talent:

  "Xī Lài Mǔ, lǎo jiàng diāo líng luò jì xiāng jìn tuì chǎng de shí dài, nǐ zuò hǎo zhǔn bèi le ma?"

  Translation: "Silem, the era of withering and falling of old generals one after another, are you prepared?"

  The Commander-in-Chief's tone was so gloomy that Erich-Redel stumbled and almost fell, his mind still reeling from the sudden turn of events. Before he could even process what was happening, he heard his lifelong friend, Heid-Silem, who had never been able to kick his drinking habit or his tendency to talk too much, make a shocking and treasonous declaration:

  "The Battle of Heligoland Bight, the victory and good situation won with the blood of thousands of soldiers were easily erased by the slander of conservative officials and the eccentric emperor. After the war, at the naval department meeting, I was disheartened and silent, wondering if my sailors were not working hard enough, if my advice was too extreme, if there really wasn't anyone in the German Navy with a clear head, if the High Seas Fleet would always be trapped in its tragic fate, and one day, due to the wind and rain of Kiel, it would rust away, and with a single "rainbow" from Scapa Flow, the entire fleet would be destroyed. Commander-in-Chief, you told me that this world is not real, Grand Admiral Tirpitz entrusted the future of the navy to me, and his actions proved my previous cowardice and made a mockery of it."

  This was not the first time that Wang Haitian, who had a tendency to get drunk and speak recklessly, shocked Riddell, who tried to persuade his old friend, who was always oppressed by some unscrupulous and unbridled nonsense. However, when Riddell's leather shoes kicked Wang Haitian's calf, Riddell was surprised to find that at this moment, the uninhibited and passionate eyes of the drunkard had a hint of something rarely seen in him - courage and passion!

  The beer at the William's Harbour Naval Officer's Club was indeed authentic, and the tired Wang Haitao downed several cups in succession, but didn't think that the strong aftertaste of the clear beer would cause the normally abstinent otaku to become drunk and his blood to surge.

  In the previous life, history books were written in black ink on white paper. The German defeat at the Battle of Heligoland Bight was recorded, but this life's history was rewritten unintentionally by Wang Haitian. In 1915, Germany lost again at the Battle of Dogger Bank, but the otaku had confidence to defy fate under the constraints of the Navy Department conservatives and the Emperor. The introverted otaku was infected with something called a great era, called a mission, and his intoxicating words were momentarily interrupted. He weighed the countless times he had been exposed to the concept of power in his previous life but had disregarded it, discarded the excuses he had used to escape responsibility and refuse obligations, and burst out with unbridled passion: "Since everyone can't see through this chess game, no one believes my prophecy, then let me fight alone! After the Battle of Dogger Bank, no one can stop the young man's progress. The Royal Navy is useless, and Emperor Wilhelm is even more useless!"

  November 7, 1914, late autumn, cool weather, a strong sea wind was blowing outside Ingnor's office.

  Recently I have to go out during the day to earn a living, it's unlikely that I'll be able to update more, but there will be update tickets, don't exceed two at most...