Long live Joachim

Chapter 59: Deliberate On the the fourth day of the German high seas fleet's expedition to Ireland, the waters of southern Norway. The sea was windy and rough, with a cold chill. Each ship was like leaves in the rain, swaying and trembling. Although there was no risk of capsizing, those who stayed in the cabins were enduring pain and suffering, especially those landing troops who were divided into old-fashioned battleships and cruisers. They did not all have the experience of being sailors, and some even learned to swim after joining the Marine Corps. This journey of more than a thousand nautical miles was a huge test of their physical and mental health. The most pessimistic estimate is that these four thousand naval infantry had basically lost their combat effectiveness when they arrived at the Irish coast, and it would take at least one or two days of rest to recover. This will be a very dangerous transition period, and we must hope that the British army will react slowly or wait for a day. The Irish Volunteer Army provides strong cover and support in order to turn danger into safety. In order to smoothly refuel in wind and waves, the ten coal ships dispatched by the German Navy were equipped with cranes, conveyors, and specially designed soft pipelines before departure. Coal ships can refuel at sea by keeping a distance of less than 20 meters from large torpedo boats, which sounds easy, but the actual operation is constantly changing. Looking around, the pairs of ships engaged in coal refueling at sea seem to be performing acrobatics together. They sometimes approach the position where the ship's side collides with the ship's side, and sometimes pull away to the distance where the flexible pipeline is straightened. Over the course of a day, there have been multiple incidents of collision or pipeline breakage between the two ships. Under such conditions, it would be very good to achieve half of the expected coal loading rate. Report... The four 1906 type ships of the 7th squadron have completed refueling, and there are still the 4th, 11th, and 17th squadrons left. With the current sea conditions, the supply will not end until tomorrow morning at the earliest On the bridge of the "King", Captain Gold, a young fleet staff officer, reported to the officers on the progress of refueling large torpedo boats. In the eyes of others, this outstanding graduate of the Kiel Naval Academy is capable and capable, and is a close friend of Prince Joachim, the Chief of Staff of the fleet. Now, at the age of less than thirty, he has been awarded the Red Eagle Medal by the German royal family, and his future is limitless. Compared to Captain Gold's flamboyance, the young adjutant who always accompanies Prince Joachim is much more low-key. He is about the same age as the prince, and his clear eyes are like lake water in the mountains. He cannot see the smoothness and vicissitudes of the world, but instead exudes a cold and arrogant aloofness. He never talks big, always speaks cautiously, so people often ignore his existence. After listening to Gold's report, both Scheer and Natsuke still had calm expressions on their faces, but the other officers on the bridge were not as calm. The joy brought by the German army's capture of Paris cooled down over time, and they began to consider the potential impact of this major event on the fleet's expedition. Since the overall situation of the Western Front has been determined, the French's request for peace seems to be only a matter of time. Britain cannot independently support the war situation. Once the German main force advances eastward, there is no doubt that the Russian army will fail, and the war may return to its starting point - the Serbian issue. The Austro Hungarian Empire has solved its political problems, and Germany has won the hegemonic position it has dreamed of since the accession of German Emperor Wilhelm II through this war. At this point, whether to continue with this highly risky maritime expedition is clearly a debatable question. After all, the German navy had gained great prestige through the previous three naval battles, and officers were also honored one by one. The thirst for victory was no longer as strong as at the beginning of the war, and most people had no hatred towards Britain. There was no need to push it to the brink of division with all their might, and even if they wanted to support the Irish independence movement, there were many ways to do so besides directly sending troops. Outside the bridge, the north wind howled and the cold current surged, as if even the heavens were trying to dissuade this group of Germanic people, who were more accustomed to living on land, from ending this arduous expedition ahead of schedule. However, the invisible political struggles were often more dangerous than the harsh sea conditions. The invincible German army has occupied Paris, and the German emperor must have left the palace and embarked on a journey to the front line to comfort the soldiers. Many people will take this opportunity to advise him that any changes could happen The fleet commander and chief of staff did not speak out, and the officers on the bridge could not make random statements. They could only patiently wait for the moment. Later that day, the communication officer sent a coded telegram from the Naval Staff, but the content of the telegram was not a combat order, but a military intelligence transmitted after decryption, indicating that a joint fleet of several armored cruisers from England and France was pursuing the Spee fleet in the North Atlantic. In the past few days, the Spee fleet has maintained radio silence, which means they have not encountered any danger. The commander of the High Seas Fleet has instead speculated on the Spee fleet's whereabouts through intercepted enemy telegrams. According to comprehensive information from all parties, after launching a high-profile attack on multiple Allied and neutral ships, Spee quickly left the Azores waters with two Scharnhorst class armored cruisers and sailed north. The fuel previously replenished in Cape Verde can provide them with a cruising speed of 6000 nautical miles or a higher speed of 3000-3500 nautical miles, and their long-range maneuverability is not inferior to any Allied armored cruiser of the same period. In the vast ocean, the Allied powers wanted to encircle the Spee fleet with just a few dozen ships, which was no less difficult than fishing with an empty hook. That night, the German Navy Staff sent another confidential telegram, which was still not a combat order, but the content of the telegram was equivalent to a heavyweight bomb: according to intelligence sent by German spies from Ireland, it may be due to the presence of traitors inside. The Irish Volunteer Army was suddenly searched by British troops in a secret warehouse in the south, and dozens of members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood were arrested. Although there were no middle or high-level leaders among them, the firearms and ammunition stored in the warehouse must have aroused the vigilance of British authorities. Anticipating that the British garrison was about to impose martial law and conduct large-scale searches, the Irish Republican Brotherhood decided to advance the time of the armed uprising - two days later, simultaneous uprisings were held in Cork, Killarney, and Watford in southwestern Ireland! After reading the telegram, Xia Shu looked up and was surprised to find that Scheer had arrived at his cabin door. He quickly invited him in. After closing the door, Scheer's first words were: "If we set sail now, at the previous speed, and if we don't encounter British ships, we can arrive at the designated landing area the morning after tomorrow Starting from Kiel Bay, passing through the waters of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, heading north to the Norwegian Sea, not even a trace of British ships was seen along the way. This was because after the Second Battle of Flanders, the British navy's range of activities had shrunk to the waters near Britain. The German fleet's next move would be to sail from the northern waters of Britain into the North Atlantic, and then proceed to the planned landing location in southwestern Ireland. There was a high probability of encountering British ships during this process, and both sides may even engage in fleet scale naval battles. For this reason, Xia Shu insisted on using old-fashioned cruisers to carry landing troops, so that even if a fish escaped and rushed into the German fleet's array, there would not be a situation where a troop transport ship was killed by a few shells. Xia Shu lowered his head and thought, the first reaction of ordinary people is to rush to the waters of Ireland and transport 4000 German naval infantry to land before the British garrison in Ireland begins combat deployment, in coordination with the Irish Volunteer Army to control the situation. However, this consideration only stays at the superficial level of military politics. When communicating with the representatives sent by the Irish Republican Brotherhood to Germany, Xia Shu noticed their subtle mentality - they hoped to use Germany's power to achieve Ireland's independence, but were also worried about inviting wolves into the house, leading them by the nose in many aspects in the future, and even becoming a military occupation area of Germany. From his current position, Xia Shu has no intention of turning Ireland into a German state or occupation area. His support for Ireland, including this controversial military adventure, is expected to be rewarded with Ireland's strategic containment of Britain. This will require the future Irish government to reciprocate, even if it sacrifices some interests, and stand on the same front as Germany. However, a country is ultimately different from an individual. The two countries that fought side by side yesterday may clash with each other the next day, and repaying kindness with ingratitude is not worth mentioning. Based on the farce that has been staged in human history, only the most naive politicians would base their expectations on emotions without practical constraints. After thinking for a while, Xia Shu said to Scheer, "We'd better wait a little longer Wait a little longer? "Scheer was somewhat surprised by this answer. Maybe our infantry hasn't arrived yet, and the Irish have already driven all the British troops into the sea. After all, the Irish independence movement organization has received the vast majority of the aid they requested from us, weapons, ammunition, instructors, funds, and so on. They themselves are very confident! "Xia Shu's last sentence emphasized his eagerness to watch the show. Scheer has been working with Xia Shu for many years, so how could he not hear the meaning behind his words? After thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized, "Then let's let the Irish suffer a little. When they have nowhere else to go, we will stand in front of them like saints However, Xia Shu did not take pride in his superior insights. He analyzed and calculated the corresponding changes brought about by the new situation in his mind. Even if he could not guarantee Ireland's independence at once, he must at least let the Irish independence movement firmly establish itself in the south. Otherwise, all the previous preparations and investments would be in vain. If the Irish Volunteer Army suffers heavy losses in the initial battles, our land troops will face greater combat pressure than expected. It seems necessary for us to make some preparations in advance Transform 4000 people into 6000 people, "Scheer took Xia Shu's words. In the planning stage of the combat plan, they have prepared a backup plan: each combat vessel is equipped with land soldiers and corresponding firearms and ammunition, and the entire High Seas Fleet can be mobilized to assemble a land warfare unit of at least 2000 people. In case of last resort, some crew members can also be organized for shore operations. So, we can wait and see, "Xia Shu said." There are still six days left until the scheduled landing time. It would be reasonable for us to arrive one or two days early, which would also be beneficial for aligning with Count Spee's battle plan. Do you think so