Chapter 7: The Horror of Dogger Bank (5)

  With the guidance of a naval expert, there will be fewer bugs. Also, due to unfamiliarity with German armor levels, the set data was too weird, so I'll make some changes at midnight for accuracy. The Battle of Dogger Bank is written in more detail, unlike the brief and elegant description of the Battle of Heligoland Bight, but a real steel clash, perhaps too bloody, but this is the true face of war!

  At 1741, the eight capital ships of the British First Battle Cruiser Squadron were sweeping northeast of Dogger Bank when David Beatty received a farewell signal from Birmingham.

  At 18:22, just as the sun was setting, the advance cruiser of the First Cruiser Squadron, HMS Queen Mary, spotted the German fleet. Queen Mary hoisted the signal "Enemy in sight" and repeated it by searchlight.

  After the Battle of Dogger Bank, a London journalist interviewed the torpedo officer of HMS Queen Mary. Following a hint from the Minister of Culture of the British Empire, the female journalist transformed the officer's vivid memories into an article full of passion and patriotism.

  "After thirteen hours of arduous sailing, the First Battle Cruiser Squadron finally arrived at the northern side of Dogger Bank. Around 18:00, the fleet was sweeping the northeastern part of the Dogger Bank area, checking and repairing machinery, having a not-so-sumptuous dinner, and sailors grumbling as they went to change shifts became the theme before the battle. At this time, the Birmingham light cruiser, which was patrolling south of Dogger Bank, sent a warning telegram and soon lost contact with the fleet. Everyone knew what it meant for communication to be interrupted in the vast ocean, but no one dared to imagine the worst outcome. Admiral Beatty ordered the five battlecruisers of the First Battle Cruiser Squadron to sail at 25 knots in search formation towards the southwest direction of Dogger Bank, followed by three Orion-class battleships commanded by Rear-Admiral Arthur Leveson. Less than half an hour later, as the vanguard of the fleet, we encountered the German fleet. It is said that this fleet was led by Germany's most formidable naval strategic genius, who had even bombarded Harwich and Lowestoft ports in the previous few hours and sent a marine corps to the British Isles, but our Royal Navy was fearless. The great Queen Mary opened the curtain of revenge for the Royal Navy with a 343mm armor-piercing shell!"

  The facts fell far short of the romantic imagination of a London journalist, as the Mary Queen fired one 13.5-inch capped armor-piercing shell at Dogger Bank in 3,800 yards, and the battle entered its white heat stage from the start.

  In the era of big ships and guns, in order to disrupt the enemy's formation and intimidate them psychologically, artillery battles often took place at the maximum firing elevation angle and the farthest theoretical firing distance. The 3800-yard combat distance of the Dogger Bank Sea Battle was indeed somewhat unconventional. However, the Dogger Bank Sea Battle was a rare classic night battle case in world naval warfare history, and 3800 yards was already the limit that the human eye could reach with the aid of binoculars.

  To gain a better shooting position and conserve the limited remaining main gun ammunition, Wang Haitian resolutely ordered the fleet to turn right. The legendary David Beatty was not one to be trifled with either, and before the two fleets clashed, the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron also adjusted its formation.

  Before the advent and maturation of radar fire control, unified command systems, and wireless telegraphy technology, the fan-shaped search formation was clearly not conducive to accurate naval gunfire. The British therefore shifted from a loose fan-shaped search formation to a more compact oblique column, which made tactical maneuvers much easier in comparison with the large-angle turns and braking of decoy fleets.

  The onrushing Queen Mary and the Tiger cruiser were the first to join the fray, the four 13.5-inch (343 mm)/45-calibre guns in Queen Mary's forward turret and the almost freakish four 15-inch (381 mm)/42-calibre guns of the Tiger cruiser trained squarely on the decoy fleet.

  The 8 main guns manufactured a barrage of bullets that engulfed the decoy fleet, which was unable to counterattack. The trajectory of the shells crossed the North Atlantic on a moonlit night, piercing the sky with a mournful sound that lingered over the decoy fleet. The calm North Sea suddenly boiled up, with sea mud surging up from the bottom, stunned codfish, deafening explosions, water columns rushing across the battleship deck, and shrapnel fragments dancing wildly on the upper deck, composing a majestic symphony like Wagner's epic poem on November 14th at Dogger Bank!

  The Von der Tann, acting as vanguard, was in a precarious situation, with four near-misses scattering around the old vessel, which had been under construction since 1907. A waterspout destroyed one of the 88 guns, and more than ten gunners were swept into the sea; high-explosive shells were particularly terrifying, with the powerful shockwave from the fierce explosive and the screaming shrapnel jumping across the upper structures of the battlecruiser, easily causing gunners and damage-control sailors to let out heart-wrenching screams, bloody limbs, sticky brains, and clouds of blood. In less than ten minutes, the Von der Tann had become a purgatory on earth.

  At 18:28, a 343mm armor-piercing shell hit the forward A turret of HMS Tiger, but the British capped armor-piercing shells had insufficient propellant and poor fuses often caused premature detonation. However, at less than 4000 yards range, against only 150mm side armor on the turret, the armor-piercing shell easily tore through the protection, roaring down the gun barrel and ripping into the ship's interior.

  Below the catapult was the ammunition loading room, which connected to the magazine. A spark could have detonated the propellant and blown up the 20,000-ton battlecruiser. Fortunately, in 1897, the design specifications for the "perfect cruiser" included protected areas and sealed compartments. The Germans, who were keen on manufacturing high-quality products, had installed a 50mm armor plate above the ammunition loading room. Additionally, the British had traditionally not prioritized shell power and penetration, so their armor-piercing shells stopped at the upper deck of the ammunition loading room, allowing the Von der Tann to narrowly escape disaster.

  The heavily damaged Lützow was in a precarious state, and the large armored cruiser Blücher was not much better off. The third ship of the Scharnhorst class had taken several near-misses, and although the British shells could not penetrate the thick armor of the command tower, they were enough to destroy the weakly armored secondary gun turrets. Every armor-piercing or semi-armor-piercing shell was able to easily take away dozens of lives, and despite everyone's efforts, the number of sailors with shattered eardrums and hearts was not small, and the brave medical personnel who rushed onto the deck were shocked by the thick accumulation of corpses, brains, and blood that was about to congeal. At 18:29, a 343mm armor-piercing shell hit its stern, fortunately, the 635kg APC armor-piercing shell tore open the Blücher's 30mm waterline armor, striking the large armored cruiser from the right side and falling into the sea, only four unsuspecting German sailors were killed by the rampaging armor-piercing shell.

  At 18:30, the fourth salvo of Tiger's main battery hit Moltke at a range of 3800 yards. Even with the 343mm guns she had been equipped with in her previous life, it would have been easy to rip through any armor defense, let alone these somewhat heaven-defying 381mm caliber main guns!

  The Missouri's forward progress seemed to be arrested for an instant, followed by the sound of crunching and groaning as if something had been torn loose from her bowels. The giant vessel shuddered violently, the battleship's massive hull involuntarily shifting a meter or two to one side, sending everyone tumbling to the deck.

  "Moqi has been hit!" Wang Haitian climbed up from the icy deck of the command tower, stretched out his hand and pulled over the dizzy Lieutenant Colonel Loren, shouting at him: "Quickly assess the actual state of the warship, organize damage control and rescue!"

  Major Loren rubbed his nearly numb ears, grabbed his military cap and ran towards the deck. The intense dizziness had not yet dissipated, Wang Haitie had to lean against the thick armor wall of the command tower for a short rest. At this time, Lieutenant Colonel Schiller rushed over with a roll of white gauze, saying anxiously:

  "Commander, you're injured..."

  Are you injured? Wang Haitie covered her chest, which was aching slightly, and turned to look at Captain Schiller. However, she was shocked to discover a warm, wet sensation gushing out from the top of her head. The world in her eyes was completely covered in a blood-red color, an exceptionally gorgeous and bloody hue!

  "Commander, Tiger is signaling with the flag hoist that they've hit the German Moltke!" General Lampedusa burst into the command tower, pointing at the lantern signal being repeated by the Tiger on the port bow.

  The high-powered binoculars slipped unnoticed from his grasp, bouncing off the hard steel plate of the command tower before coming to rest in front of the dusty boots of the handsome and dashing General David Beatty. Beatty turned his head with difficulty, his dry lips moving slightly as he finally gave vent to a sigh that had been building up over ten long years.

  "Orders, Tiger and Queen Mary to take out Blücher, Invincible and Royal Princess to take out Von der Tann. Monarch, Conqueror and Thunderer to complete their turns as soon as possible..." Betty's urgent and fluent speech came to an abrupt halt. "Sea Rider" took a deep breath and said helplessly: "Moltke is giving the battleship to Lion. If war is the most glorious fate for soldiers, if obeying national interests is the inherent duty of soldiers from birth, then this excessively luxurious friendship that crosses national borders is something I'd rather not get involved in!"

  The losses of the SMS Moltke were quickly assessed: a 381 mm armor-piercing shell from the Tiger hit the waterline belt armor on the port side at frame 40, about 13 meters (43 ft) from the bow. The roughly one-ton cap-headed shell penetrated the waterline belt armor and completely destroyed one boiler room and four adjacent watertight compartments.

  The damage control report had silenced the bridge crew of the Moltke, for in a brutal sea battle, loss of speed was tantamount to death. The captain of the Moltke, Magnus von Levetzow, his executive officer, navigator and the staff officers of the decoy squadron all turned to look at Heidkamp, waiting for that somewhat ruthless combat order from their superior.

  "Gentlemen, this is the Royal Navy that spans the seven seas, this is the David Beatty I know." The freshly bandaged wound had unknowingly come undone, and fresh blood seeped out, flowing freely on King Haite's dark face. Under the stunned gaze of the command officers in the bridge tower of the Moltke-class cruiser, King Haite clutched at the pocket containing a family photo on his chest, laughing wildly and unbridled: "Orders, all ships to complete the turn maneuver and proceed eastward at maximum speed of 25 knots. Blücher and Von der Tann are free to open fire. As for Moltke-class cruiser... as the rear guard covering the fleet, target - Lion!"