Chapter 2 The Sound of Guns in Heligoland Bight (4)

  Early summer, the Balkan Peninsula Bosnia and Herzegovina capital Sarajevo sunshine is bright, the Austro-Hungarian military exercise has just ended. Habsburg Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie sat in an open car, reviewing the returning troops with a sense of pride and satisfaction, a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere lingering in the open car.

  At 10:00 am, the motorcade entered Sarajevo proper. Nedeljko ?abrinovi?, a Serbian nationalist, stepped forward and threw a grenade at the open car carrying Archduke Franz Ferdinand, but it missed. The archduke decided to continue his journey. When the car turned into another street, Gavrilo Princip, another Serbian nationalist, jumped out of the crowd and fired two shots from a semi-automatic pistol. On June 28, 1914, the last legitimate heir of the Habsburgs, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were assassinated by Serbian nationalists, and the Balkan powder keg, which Bismarck had worried about, was finally ignited.

  The sound of gunfire from the Balkans reached him, and David Beatty sensed that the situation in Europe would change dramatically. He hastily bid farewell to the Seylem family and rushed back to Kiel Harbour to join the visiting fleet. At the same time, the German Navy Ministry ordered all officers and sailors to cancel their leave and stand by for duty on their ships. Kaiser Wilhelm II also began packing his bags and boarded a special train to return to Berlin to deal with the crisis.

  "Annie, the war has begun..."

  "You military men are really too sensitive, this is not the first time such a thing has happened. In 1908 during the Bosnian crisis, war was imminent, and speculation about a large-scale European conflict filled the newspapers, but in the end it was resolved peacefully." Annie stuffed a family photo album into her already full suitcase, smoothed out the wrinkles on her husband's uniform, and gazed at him lightly as he prepared to leave: "We must trust our Bethmann-Hollweg, he will prevent war!"

  In fact, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand had far less impact on Europe at the time than the painstakingly crafted black-and-white narrative in history books. If the Humboldt brothers brought theoretical and speculative thinking to the Germans, then the Germans, who inherited Frederick the Great's iron-blooded genes, were by no means lacking in martial spirit! As a daughter of Germany, Anne was not afraid of war at all, let alone the example of the Bosnian crisis in 1908.

  In 1908, the Bosnian crisis broke out as Austria-Hungary, backed by Kaiser Wilhelm, annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, massing troops on the border. This move enraged Serbia, which began to mobilize its military, while the Romanov dynasty, swept up in Great Slavism, issued a warning of war against the Habsburgs. At that time, Europe was in turmoil, with politicians and newspapers predicting an imminent explosion. Fortunately, Germany's warnings and Britain's mediation took effect, and the crisis subsided as Russia retreated to focus on its internal problems, including strikes by workers and peasant uprisings that threatened the tsar's throne.

  "Perhaps the Sarajevo affair can be settled by diplomatic negotiations, but that assumes the Serbs are not foolish."

  Wang Haitie picked up Annie's well-packed suitcase, his rough hand gently stroking the ends of his wife's hair, shaking his head and gritting his teeth: "The Habsburgs are sharpening their knives while the stupid Serbian government is rejoicing over the death that is staring them in the face! The Serbs have messed everything up, who do they think they are?! Don't they know that even the proud and greedy polar bears retreated in 1908 during the Bosnian crisis? Don't they know that truth only lies within the range of cannons?! They will push all of Europe into war! The Serbian government should be hanged!"

  The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Austria caused a sensation, and the Austrians, who had long coveted the Balkan Peninsula, finally found an excuse to start a war. The streets of Vienna were filled with cries for punishment and annexation of Serbia. After hearing the loud calls and confident promises of Conrad von H?tzendorf, the Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Army, and receiving a vague guarantee from Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Emperor Franz Joseph finally decided to go to war. On July 23, 1914, Austria presented Serbia with an ultimatum containing extremely harsh conditions, demanding a response within 48 hours.

  The inept performance of the Serbs after the Sarajevo incident is quite amusing. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the only heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, strongly advocated for the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which led to extreme hostility from the Serbian people. From June 27 when the archduke was assassinated to July 23 when Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum, nearly a month passed during which the Serbian government reacted very slowly. Apart from their arrogant display of self-importance, they did almost nothing and even secretly rejoiced at the death of Archduke Ferdinand until the old emperor of Habsburg sent a final ultimatum to the Serbian government, when the Serbs finally came to their senses. To avoid humiliation, apart from participating in the pursuit and trial of the assassins, the terrified Serbs accepted all the harsh terms proposed by Austria, but unfortunately it was already too late. Once the wheels of war were set in motion, there would be no turning back until death did them part!

  Russia was somewhat caught off guard by the events in Sarajevo. Although the northern bear had been eyeing the Balkan Peninsula, the Russians of 1914 were no longer the "European steamroller" that frightened Western Europeans during the revolutions of 1848. Since the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, Russia's domestic situation had been turbulent, and Nicholas II, who had just suppressed the domestic revolution, had neither the enthusiasm nor the financial resources to launch a war. However, Nicholas also had no hesitation, as the backing of the Entente powers made the weak Russians increasingly tough.

  In Annie's eyes, the Sarajevo incident was just a repeat of the Fashoda crisis between England and France in 1898, the Bosnian crisis in 1908, and the Agadir crisis in 1911. Although the European situation was becoming more and more dangerous by the day, this had been going on for many years. Annie was nonchalant, but her husband's warning made him suspicious, as Selim's strategic talent was well-known in the naval world.

  Annie couldn't help but glance at her daughter Helen, who was frolicking with Danny on the lawn of the grey bungalow outside. She hung her head, made a cross, and covered her mouth to whisper: "Darling, are you saying that this war is unavoidable?"

  As his wife realized the gravity of the situation, Wang Haitie hugged Annie and gently pressed her forehead against Annie's, muttering: "Take care of Ferenczi and Eve when I'm not around; I've hidden a few gold bars in the dark cabinet of the closet, keep them safe, no matter how difficult it is, don't take them out to use, that's our family's lifeline. Don't worry about me, fighting is a soldier's business, glory belongs to Germany!"

  "Take good care of yourself, don't be too proud, and try to get transferred to the Navy Department office if you have the chance, even if it's just as a base commander." The descendants of Frederick the Great were not afraid of war, but that didn't mean Annie wanted her husband on the front lines, facing the British Royal Navy, which had been laughing at the world for hundreds of years. Annie wrapped her arms around her husband's not-so-broad shoulders and hesitated: "You've always been shouting about retiring early and immigrating to America, why don't you go through the retirement procedures now?"

  "Immigrate to the United States?" Wang Haitian was taken aback, and after a long time, he remembered that it was his dream when he first joined the navy. Wang Haitian is a person who loves ease and hates hard work, his attitude towards Germany is like his simple and lazy views on love, he never easily falls in love with others, once he does, he will never change.

  "Can a house be moved away, but can memories be moved away?" the otaku asked.

  ****

  The Kiel Week ended with a whimper, on June 29 the British friendly visit fleet set sail for home, led by Rear Admiral Goodenough's First Light Cruiser Squadron which passed through the newly widened Kiel Canal.

  On the same day that the British fleet set sail, Wang Haitian, a young man on vacation, moved back onto the Seydlitz, and was unable to see his old friend David Beatty off at the dock. Although he felt some regret, the young man did not realize the gravity of the situation, and by the time he met David Beatty again, they had become sworn enemies!

  Gunfire echoes from the Balkans, although the Imperial government has not yet made a statement, but the German and Italian navies have entered a state of emergency to deal with the chess game in the Balkans that is as confusing as a fog.

  As the Chief of Staff of the First Reconnaissance Fleet, Wang Haiti's tasks were very heavy. He had to organize the daily gun and torpedo training for the entire fleet, increase the cohesion between new naval recruits and old soldiers, keep the morale of the sailors high, and inspect the combat equipment of each warship in order to carry out targeted small-scale maintenance and repairs.

  Ensure the supply of materials for the entire fleet, keep the fleet in its best state at all times; increase training in subjects such as surprise attacks and counter-attacks, night battles, close combat, and loss control according to the situation; analyze comprehensive intelligence with Fleet Commander Hipper, design reserve plans, arrange duty schedules and deploy anti-torpedo nets; handle coordination and liaison issues between the fleet and the base, attend regular intelligence briefings and analysis meetings organized by the Navy Department, and have been busy day and night.

  The battleship assessment report is out: the boiler of the Moltke-class battlecruiser has a steam leak problem and cannot exert its maximum power; many main guns and secondary gun barrels of the Von der Tann, Seydlitz, Kolberg, Graudenz, and Stralsund cruisers are approaching their service life and need to be updated with new barrels; the internal rusting problem of the Blücher is quite serious, and several water-sealing rubber parts are loose. Fleet Staff Officer Lieutenant Laurence placed a thick investigation report on Wang Heiti's desk. "Staff officer, detailed data is all in the report..."

  "The situation is not good...” Wang Haitian rubbed his somewhat swollen head and said weakly: "The results of last week's gunnery assessment are out, except for the Rostock, which performed normally, the hit rate and efficiency of all other ships have decreased. The addition of new naval cadets has caused our gunnery skills to decline severely."

  "Staff officer, will this year's summer and autumn regular cruise be carried out as usual?" asked Lieutenant Commander Lauren.

  As usual, the main force of the Ocean Fleet will go to the Mediterranean, Iberian Peninsula and Azores Islands for long-range training exercises in summer and autumn every year to strengthen the cohesion of new and old crew members and inspect the results of last year's training.

  "Who knows?!" The otaku suddenly flared up in anger, his temper rising.

  On June 28, the sound of gunfire echoed through the streets of Sarajevo, and the Admiralty immediately convened a lengthy military conference to discuss various possible scenarios. The naval elders and frontline commanders quarreled with each other, even arguing over whether to proceed with the routine summer-autumn cruise training on schedule, with the only conclusion being that the Austro-Hungarians would not give up this opportunity, and war might break out at the end of July or early August, with Germany, Russia, and France inevitably drawn into the conflict, while Britain would choose neutrality.

  The Chief of Staff of the First Squadron, Wolfgang Wegener, and the Chief of Staff of the First Scouting Group, Heide Kampe, were both present at that tumultuous debate. The two luminaries of German naval strategy independently chose the most inconspicuous corner of the conference room, either dozing off with their caps pulled over their faces or listlessly flipping through outdated newspapers while sipping tea.

  "Will the seasoned diplomat John Bull, who has mastered the art of balance and equilibrium, not understand the principle of 'when lips are gone, teeth will be cold'?! Will the British remain neutral due to Germany's warning?!" Thinking of the narrow strategic vision of the naval high-level officials, Otaku couldn't help but want to mock. Otaku wandered around in the cramped officer's cabin for a few laps, and could no longer find any passion for work, so he hastily cleaned up his desk and walked out of the cabin.

  As soon as the cabin door was opened, Kiel's sunset poured in, slanting onto the dark skin of the otaku, not like the scorching heat of a summer noon, but a warm and sweet feeling.

  "Staff officer!" The sailors who were washing the deck and wiping the guns all saluted, and Wang Haiting hurriedly returned their salute.

  The life on a warship is not as romantic as described by poets and writers, but rather dull and monotonous. Due to the limitations of the ship's space, the living quarters of sailors can only be sacrificed for steam engines, ammunition, and supplies, after all, speed, firepower, and endurance are the ultimate mission of a warship.

  The cramped living space on the warship, the gloomy and humid beds, the rumbling sound of the boiler operation, the rhythm of three major inspections every day, and the monotonous and tasteless food are all unfavorable factors that torment the morale of the sailors. It is precisely because of this that cleaning the deck and sweeping the floor after dinner has become the most enjoyable activity for the crew members.

  The sunset shines on the church, dock, harbor and warship. In the distance, a fleeting shadow of the battleship "Helandgol" can be seen. The Gothic-style vaulted ceiling of the church in the harbor area is also visible, as well as the shadow cast by the nearby cruiser "Maochi". Kiel looks like an impressionist oil painting from the 19th century under the twilight, or a faded old photograph in a museum showcase. A young man slowly climbs up to the bridge of the Sedritz number warship, squinting his eyes and gazing into the distance.

  "Shouldn't you stand up?" The otaku gently stroked the iron body of the Seydlitz, and the words that had been stuck in his mind finally came out. The otaku clearly remembered that after the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the mighty High Seas Fleet was left to rust away in Kiel Harbour until its glorious days were but a distant memory. The Kiel sailors' mutiny in 1918 only added to the ignominy of this brave fleet. But now, in June 1914, the war had not yet broken out, and the situation could still be salvaged.

  "Staff officer, naval ministry telegram, this week's regular intelligence briefing and analysis meeting of the naval ministry will be held ahead of schedule. His Majesty Wilhelm, Field Marshal Tirpitz and Commander-in-Chief of the High Seas Fleet Tirpitz will all attend..." A communications soldier shouted from under the bridge.

  The otaku's whole body trembled, and his cracked lips due to internal heat slightly moved as he gazed at the beautiful Kiryuu's aura, his hesitant eyes finally firming up.