Chapter 1,189 After the Great War 1
Chapter 1189 After the War 1
"Although we encountered unexpected troubles in the final stage of the battle, overall, we still achieved a huge victory this time." The prince thought for a while and wrote on the paper. Then he looked up again at the German High Seas Fleet outside the window. The prince's office was located on the tallest building in Wilhelmshaven. From this position, he could overlook the main berths in the port. The number of warships parked at the berth is now much smaller than when they set off a few days ago.
"My luck is a bit bad this time." Seeing that one-third of the battleship berths had been vacant, the prince felt a little depressed. Although this time not a single battleship was sunk. However, the British attack still prevented a considerable number of capital ships from being able to fight again for 1 to 2 months.
The most seriously injured was naturally the battlecruiser Goeben, which was hit by two powerful submarine-launched torpedoes on one side. In addition to the damage received in the previous battle, the ship returned to Wilhelmshaven with 3,000 tons of seawater. Yes, - when we came back, due to the high speed, part of the slope was torn apart by the water waves, adding hundreds of tons of water. It is estimated that this ship will lie in the dock for at least 2 months after returning.
Seydlitz was also hit by a torpedo, but because she retreated earlier, the damage was not serious and she was sent to the Germania Shipyard for repairs.
Moltke and von der Tann engaged in a lengthy engagement with three British battleships. The number of hits was in double digits. This overhaul cannot be run away. The prince also hopes to take advantage of the situation and replace the triple-mounted 12-inch main gun turret of the Vondertann with a twin-mounted 350MM artillery turret. that is it.
Baden and Weimar were severely damaged by British bombers, but their repairs were relatively simple, because the British did not have torpedoes, so the damage to the underwater part of the hull was not great, but the superstructure was damaged. Especially the Baden, from the uppermost rangefinder to the lower flue, it is estimated that it will need an overhaul. Basically, in addition to the weapons, the entire middle part of the hull above the upper deck needs to be replaced...
The ones with the best luck were the three Helgeland-class battleships and the improved Rhineland. These four battleships were sent out to find von Lefetzov's battlecruiser detachment before the British bombers arrived. Although they were later attacked by individual bombers, there was no accumulation of numbers. With the accuracy of the current twin-engine bombers, they could deal a small amount of damage, so these four battleships returned almost unscathed.
The prince looked at his disfigured flagship Bavaria, and then at the four fast battleships with a layer of paint peeled off in some places. He felt that there was an imbalance in his heart. "You go to the Baltic Sea to deal with the Russians." The prince decided to send these guys to the Baltic Sea to blow the northwest wind after resting...
The remaining Bavarians are in pretty good condition. Although they are more or less injured, they will be able to come out within two weeks after being pulled back.
This is true even for the Bayern and Württemberg, which suffered greater damage. The person in charge of Wilhelmshaven said that if the ship is handed over to them, it can be repaired in a month at most.
As for the light cruisers, a total of 5 were lost. This was definitely a very painful thing for the German High Seas Fleet, so much so that after returning, Scheer seriously asked the prince to build new light cruisers, because now the entire fleet The number of light cruisers is already somewhat beyond their means, let alone being assigned to lead the destroyer squadron. Even the regular light cruiser detachment is not satisfied. Eight destroyers were lost, which was nothing to the High Seas Fleet. According to Royal William Dockyard, as long as you have the money, it will add 12 destroyers to you within 3 months.
But as the prince said, this time the High Seas Fleet still achieved a huge victory! This is true both from a tactical level and a strategic level! The warships lost by the British this time were not as high as last time in terms of tonnage, but in terms of quality, they were definitely greater losses than Thunder-Sebrus!
The three Queen Elizabeth-class battleships Balem, Reputation, and Repulse were sunk! The most advanced and elite presence in the British Royal Navy was completely crushed like a powerless flock by the superior German High Seas Fleet in this naval battle! The battlecruiser New Zealand that sank in the battle was just an addendum compared to the Queen!
A full 10 light cruisers were sunk in the British attempt to save the fleet. Facing the strong ships and guns of the German fleet, these light cruisers were as fragile as duckweed in the water and were easily harvested. 16 destroyers were also finished with them.
The huge Thomas fleet had 7 battleships when it came out, and 9 battleships at its peak. It could even go head-to-head with the French navy's main fleet, but its back was broken in a few hours. ! It is foreseeable that in the next month, unless the large fleet returns to the Firth of Forth. Otherwise, there would not be a single battleship in the huge port! Because they either sank in the waves of the North Sea or were paralyzed on the slipway waiting for repairs!
The battleships that escaped were also in very bad condition, and time was the best luck. Malaya, which ran away at the beginning, also needed to replace the rangefinders on three turrets, and repair two gun barrels and Another turret. As for Thomas's flagship Queen Elizabeth, its situation is even worse than the battleship Baden. According to British statistics, this battleship was hit by at least 11 large-caliber shells. As for the number of 175MM shells hit, it is countless. Take a look. Like the honeycomb-shaped sides of the hull, and the big holes on the open deck, look up and see that at least one third of the superstructure has been burned into a skeleton, twisted steel plates, broken scales and collapsed cabins. You have basic common sense. Everyone knows that this ship will not be available within 3 months.
As for Betty's ship Tiger, its condition is also not good. At least two turrets need to be replaced. When we returned, the hull also carried at least 2,000 tons of water. After the huge twin 13.5-inch turrets were removed, Afterwards, the British people present looked at the huge gun circle and agreed that fish could be raised here. Unlike the Queen, the waterline of the Tiger was also seriously damaged. Although the superstructure was not as miserable as the Queen, in order to replace the damaged boiler, the British had to choose one of two methods: demolishing part of the superstructure or opening a large hole in the side of the hull.
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By the way, yesterday some book friends said that the author had over exaggerated the British aviation power. Well, how should I put it? Historically, the aviation power of the Allied Powers was indeed much higher than that of Germany. Just think about it. In 1918, the Royal Navy had 2,949 aircraft and 103 aircraft. The size of an airship does not include the size of the aviation force on the Western Front. This is really not something that a time traveler can change. The so-called area of Bavaria is less than half the size of Hebei Province. There is no way that a time traveler can change it out of thin air. Let Germany's front-line aircraft have an additional Royal Navy Air Force, right? Prussia? Sorry, the prince has nothing to do with it. As for the navigation issue, night bombing was allowed in World War I. The Germans carried out four large-scale night bombings during Operation Albion. How did they fly? The Germans can bomb at night, but the British can't even bomb offshore during the day? What's the point? It's a battlefield about 80 kilometers away from the shore. Maybe you can even see the land. Are you worried that you won't be able to fly back?