Comrade, Your Ingredients Are Too Complicated

Chapter 285 Hood: Just Bismarck! What a big deal!

 The time goes back to five days ago, at 3 pm on June 18, 1941, in Gothenafen.

The port was very lively at this time. The battleship Bismarck, which symbolized the glory of the three German navies, was docking for supplies. Various logistics personnel were trying to saturate all its supply and ammunition compartments.

Several transport vehicles were parked on the left side of the ship, and the carriages were filled with huge 380mm artillery shells.

The crane swayingly hoisted artillery shells weighing more than 800 kilograms into the air, and then slowly lowered through the decks, finally reaching the ammunition depot deep under the waterline.

 Looking at the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the three destroyers Z10, Z16, and Z23 in the distance, Lu Shuai, who was worth 175,000 coal, sighed helplessly.

“To be honest, I really don’t want to set off tomorrow. We only have two ships in the North Atlantic, which is the main area where the enemy operates.”

"I once proposed to Marshal Raeder that he wait until the Tirpitz has completed its training and the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sisters have fully recovered before taking action."

“If the current situation were not too tense, I would even wait for the Zeppelin aircraft carrier.”

"It's a pity that the marshal can't wait, and the head of state is even less willing to wait. The strength of this battle is very different, I'm afraid both of you and I will risk our lives."

 Four months ago, Lütjens led the two warships Schaan and Gnai to successfully complete the task of breaking the diplomatic relations.

Under his command, the two sisters gave full play to their own advantages and made the enemy realize what it means that a battleship cannot catch up with and a cruiser cannot defeat.

During that time, the three German navies were able to outsmart enemies several times their size.

 The British Home Fleet not only lost face, but also completely disrupted the Atlantic route.

 In the case where radar, carrier-based aircraft and other technologies are inferior to those of the other side, achieving such results depends entirely on the fleet commander's excellent command ability.

Now that the battleship Bismarck is about to carry out its first mission, Lütjens, who has rich experience and outstanding record, is naturally the best choice for commander-in-chief.

Hearing the words of his immediate superior, the captain of the battleship Bismarck, Lindemann, immediately nodded in agreement.

As an outstanding commander and the former Minister of Naval Training of the Empire, he is well aware of the power of his opponent, the Royal Navy.

Judging from the current gap in hard power between the enemy and ourselves, even Stud Master Isoroku Yamamoto commanding the fleet would not dare to make crazy claims that a single battleship or heavy cruiser could compete with the entire Royal Navy.

After all, as long as the British concentrate their forces in the Atlantic, Bismarck and Eugen will face the siege of two aircraft carriers, more than five battleships and a dozen destroyers.

If the other party is willing to pay a certain price, it is absolutely capable of sinking their entire fleet.

“Yeah, it would be nice if the superiors were willing to wait.”

“Although there are many enemy ships, their overall deployment is very scattered. The huge fleet is forced to defend all over the world, including Scapa Flow, the Mediterranean, and even Asia and Australia.”

“If we can concentrate two battleships and two battlecruisers, a total of four main ships will attack together. Coupled with a certain number of destroyers and U-boats, we might really have a chance to dominate the Atlantic Ocean.”

“Wish us good luck and hope we can get home safely.”

 The pessimism of the two men is not unreasonable. Compared with the British Royal Navy, the biggest problem of their own navy is lack of confidence.

The enemy has a strong foundation. Even if one or two battleships are lost in the battle, it will be a physical pain at most, and it will never reach the point of breaking the muscles and bones.

　　Ke De San is different. For Lu Shuai, any ship is his heart's content. Every time he performs a task, he must make various emergency plans in advance and strive to minimize risks.

This is the tragedy of a country with a weak navy. Their annual production capacity can only barely make up four destroyers.

 After mentioning the word U-boat, the two people in the captain's room fell into a brief silence.

 As senior admirals of the navy, they were certainly aware of the precarious relationship between Raeder and Dönitz. If the two sides were not so tense, there might not have been such a dangerous Rhine exercise.

 At the beginning of last month, my marshal was scolded **** by the head of state.

Although the surface fleet decimated Britain's maritime supply lines and even destroyed an aircraft carrier. But compared to their performance against the submarine force, their gains were more like a drop in the bucket.

What’s more, the battle in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean has reached a critical moment, and the navy must take the initiative to balance the enemy’s and our forces in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

 In order to prove that he was not a waste, Redel was forced to formulate a very risky battle plan.

While the two were silent, nearly a hundred people walked over in an organized manner along the pier.

This is a young officer detachment, most of whose members are newly promoted military school students. They were ordered to strengthen the crew of the battleship Bismarck.

Watching the young people boarding the warship along the gangway in neat steps, Lindemann gently hit his parents with his elbow.

 “Come on, we should go down to meet the children.”

“I really don’t know what Marshal Redl is thinking, and why he wants students to serve as witnesses and spread the word about the navy’s victory for the entire fleet?”

“Isn’t this just adding chaos? When did the battleship Bismarck become a kindergarten?”

Lütjens glared at Lindemann and signaled him to stop talking nonsense.

Although he himself has a pessimistic attitude towards this mission, it is not a good thing to infect the troops who have not sent out the expedition.

When the two of them arrived on the stern deck of the ship, the students were already in formation and ready to be inspected by the commander. Looking at the young faces, Lu Shuai said the opening remarks he had prepared long ago.

"Everyone! You have now boarded the most powerful new battleship in Europe! Please cherish every second in the future. Everyone will gain the most valuable combat experience after returning!"

“No battleship in the British navy dared to engage him head-on, and no large warship could survive his eight 380mm main guns.”

“Don’t the enemies claim to have convoys all over the Atlantic Ocean? Then we will overturn the entire Atlantic Ocean! With the assistance of the Prinz Eugen heavy cruiser, we will effortlessly kill all enemies blocking our way forward!”

 The "firm" voice spread throughout the ship through the loudspeaker, and the naval soldiers on the deck immediately fell into a collective climax.

In the past, the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary relied on speed and dared to cross the Atlantic again and again unscrupulously without any force cover.

 Things have turned, and now the Bismarck is faster and stronger than them.

 In the eyes of young students and soldiers, the current situation is very good, as if the victory of the naval battle is right in front of them.

It is a pity that due to the continuous harassment from the British Air Force, the training progress of the battleship Tirpitz has been delayed again and again. Otherwise, this Rhine exercise would have been a formation composed of two battleships. “Victory belongs to Germany!”

 “We will definitely kill the enemy’s navy with our own hands!”

 Looking at the enthusiastic people on the deck, Lütjens and Lindemann secretly smiled bitterly in their hearts.

  ·······

 Eleven hours later, the two battleships that had completed supplies officially set sail.

Under the **** of three Z-drivers and minesweepers, the entire fleet quickly crossed the Baltic Sea. Over the course of a day, they passed through the Katagat and Skagerrak straits and headed north along the Norwegian coast.

 According to Lütjens’ plan, after the fleet successfully passed through the Norwegian Sea, it would sail to Greenland. There is the entrance to the Atlantic Ocean. As long as you can pass through the Denmark Strait, the sky is high and birds can fly.

 “Lindemann, I have good news.”

“According to intelligence reconnaissance, all British battleships are now anchored in Scapa Flow, and there is no sign that the other side is about to leave the port.”

"It seems that our confidentiality work is good. This is a perfect start."

In this Rhine exercise, the top brass of the three German navies have reached a consensus on tactics, and there are two points that must be paid attention to.

The first point must be confidentiality. No matter how powerful the battleship Bismarck is, there is only one battleship. Once the intelligence is leaked and it is surrounded and annihilated by the enemy, there is a high probability that it will end with hatred.

  The second point is to avoid battles as much as possible. The main target of the fleet is the enemy's transport ships. Large-scale naval battles are not a necessary option.

 Facts have proved that some things cannot be said too early.

Just as the two were lamenting their good luck, a rapid warning sounded in the captain's room. At the same time, Chief Guantong and Chief Radar simultaneously reported on the communication channel:

 “Commander! Captain! Something happened!”

“An unknown target was discovered on the left front of the Bismarck. It is most likely a Swedish cruiser! There was a water reconnaissance plane flying over just now, and our whereabouts must have been exposed!”

Although the incident happened suddenly, Lütjens and Lindemann did not panic. The two quickly adjusted their emotions and immediately came to the navigation chart and entered a state of combat readiness.

Sweden is a neutral country, but there are spy networks from several countries within it.

Even if their own people do not intend to provide intelligence to the Allies, the agents who lead the British to hide are not for nothing.

Once the enemy sent a native fleet to intercept, Bismarck and Eugen basically had no possibility of entering the Atlantic Ocean, and even their return route would be disrupted.

 “Send my order! The fleet is advancing at full speed! The target is Colesfjord in Bergen!”

“Let’s rest in the Norwegian fjords first and change the coating of the two warships. As long as we avoid the enemy’s subsequent detection, the fleet can continue to perform its mission.”

“Air defense gunners are on full alert! Be prepared to respond to reconnaissance at any time!”

 Norway is known as the country of fjords, which is very suitable for hiding warships. Their fleet is not large, and as long as they are well disguised, they have a high probability of evading enemy detection.

  ·······

This time the three German navies lost to the British in terms of intelligence. As early as Gotenaufen, the whereabouts of the battleship Bismarck had been tracked by British spies.

 In view of the previous actions of the two sisters Shane and Gurnay, the Royal Navy had long suspected that the enemy would enter the Atlantic again, and the intelligence they intercepted proved their conjecture.

Lu Shuai's opponent this time is Admiral John Tovey, the commander of the Home Fleet. He was a steady soldier, and his code of conduct was to plan before taking action.

“Bismarck is out and heading north. Prinz Eugen is with her, and she is accompanied by three destroyers.”

“Your Excellency, Commander, this matter is of great importance, we must take action! The Germans must not be allowed to enter the Atlantic Ocean and get close to the route of our transport ships.”

 Hearing the report from the major general's staff, John Tovey frowned slightly.

There are eleven transport teams in the North Atlantic at this time, among which the WS8B fleet also carries 20,000 troops to support the Mediterranean. The enemy's large pipes can easily send the infantry to feed the fish.

 If the enemy is allowed to succeed, he will have to be court-martialed even if he is a general.

  After a moment, John Tovey slowly pointed with a pencil from one point to another on the chart, trying to analyze the paths that the three German naval fleets might choose.

“She has been training in the Baltic Sea for four months, and now she is finally willing to go on a mission.”

“We failed to capture Scharnhorst and Gneisenau before, but we can’t let go of Bismarck and Prince Eugen this time!”

“She definitely wants to break into the Atlantic Ocean, so which route will the enemy take? Is it the Firth of Pentland? Or Fair Isle? It’s also possible to the east of the Faroe Islands, or the Denmark Strait?”

 After talking to himself for a while, John Tovey simply gave up thinking.

 At present, there are thousands of miles of sea area that need to be guarded, and it is simply unrealistic to predict the enemy's route based on guesswork.

At this moment, the legacy of the established maritime powers comes into play. If you can't figure out from which direction the enemy will enter the Atlantic Ocean, then send troops to cover the sea.

“Send my order! The two heavy cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk continue to monitor the Denmark Strait!”

"Ask Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland to set off immediately and lead Hood and the Prince of Wales to the Denmark Strait for reinforcements! Then send three light cruisers, Arisius, Birmingham and Manchester, to block the passage between the Faroe Islands and Iceland. sea ​​area!”

“Inform the aircraft carrier Victory and the battle cruiser Repulse, and ask them to abandon **** and return to Scapa Flow to rendezvous with the home fleet. Being passively attacked is too disadvantageous, we must take the initiative!”

“Let the Rodney, Lamie and Revenge be ready to encircle and annihilate Bismarck at any time! Then contact Fleet H in Gibraltar to see if Ark Royal and Reputation can come to the Atlantic for support.”

The above-mentioned order made the rear admiral take a breath of cold air. The last time the Royal Navy went to war was the Battle of Jutland. It seemed that the commander was really planning to kill the Germans in one go.

John Tovey seemed to have thought of something important. He slapped the table heavily, and then he continued to order to the communications soldier beside him:

“No matter what the outcome is, the Coast Defense Command has to take action and ask them to send aircraft to conduct aerial reconnaissance and photography along the coast of Norway.”

“The intelligence just came from eight hours ago. The enemy may be somewhere south of Bergen. Bergen, the Oslo Fjord, and any suspicious targets southward from there cannot be let go.”

 “I want the Bismarck to sink on its maiden voyage!”

  This chapter was difficult to write because there was so much information to look up.

 (End of this chapter)