"We had a very bad start. In less than two weeks after the war, we experienced three blows. India, the most important cotton and grain producing area in the British Empire, was attacked. Our goods were piled up at the Port of Karachi.

and reserves of heavy oil were burned to the ground, and the Port of Perth in the Australian Dominion was destroyed by the barbaric Germans! They used the most powerful weapons to fire at civilian ports! This is unforgivable! And the third thing is that our navy actually lost track of it.

We have found our opponent. According to intelligence, the Spey fleet has entered the Arabian Sea and is about to join the Turkish fleet in the near future. However, our current fleet in India has no power to organize the opponent's actions. I don't know what you think about the situation in front of you.

What do you think?" Churchill put down his pipe and looked around the venue.

"Lieutenant General Thomas will go to the Far East to replace Major General Hood. He will command our military forces in Asia. As long as the Germans dare to come out, we will definitely give them a good look. Persia has already allowed our spy ships and intelligence personnel to enter. As long as the Germans dare to come out,

As soon as the Turkish fleet comes out, we can get information quickly. The armored cruiser detachment begins to provide escort for the large fleet. The German and Turkish fleets cannot pose a threat to these large fleets without dispatching battleships. From the current point of view, the war situation in the Indian Ocean

Not much will change in a short period of time, because the German and Turkish fleets need to run in, and the warships also need to be maintained and maintained." Jericho replied.

Although the attacks on Karachi Port and Perth Port were heavy losses, they were only a drop in the bucket for the wealthy British Empire. Coupled with the control of news, the ordinary British people knew that these two places were attacked. But

No one can tell the exact amount of losses. For most of the subjects of the British Empire, they just know that there is such a thing. It is relatively embarrassing. That's all.

For the senior officials of the British Royal Navy, this incident is even more common. They have already started fighting. How could they not suffer losses? The myth of the invincibility of the British Empire fleet is more about a series of battles such as the Battle of Trafalgar.

Memories and yearnings. For Jericho and others, behind these victories are all kinds of losses, blood, and steel. The Germans took the lead, but at the same time they also trapped themselves in the small Persian Gulf.

In. And Thomas' mission is to keep an eye on the Persian Gulf and give the opponent a sharp blow when he comes out! And Jericho believes that Thomas can complete this task.

"What we need to consider now is the situation in the North Sea. The victory of the German Far East Fleet in the battle is likely to stimulate Scheer. He may choose to copy the victory of Perth Port at the right time. Therefore, it is necessary for us to monitor the British offshore ports.

The defense needs to be adjusted. The incident in Karachi tells us that relying solely on a limited number of coastal defense guns has very limited effect. Our fast fleet must be mobilized to assume the responsibility of protecting the British coastal areas." Jericho continued.

"No, this is not enough. We need to get closer to the German coast and put pressure on the Germans. It's like playing football. Only by suppressing the opponent in their half will our goal be the safest. Of course, if we apply the Royal Navy's

In tactical terms, it's a near-shore blockade. Although they have a mine defense system called the West Face, I think the Royal Navy's patrol range will be close to the edge of the West Face." At this time, the Royal Navy's fast fleet

Commander Betty interjected, Betty, who advocates offense, will never settle for defense. He prefers to gain a sense of security by destroying his opponents.

"I'm afraid this is a bit dangerous. The German High Seas Fleet is not the French fleet that had no fighting spirit in the Napoleonic era. Nor is it the Russians who are strong on the outside and capable on the inside. They have advanced warships and highly qualified officers and soldiers. And more importantly, they have a strong offensive nature.

If you encounter the main force of the German High Seas Fleet near the west wall, I'm afraid the result will be very bad." A lieutenant general said euphemistically. In his opinion, as long as the German navy can be prevented from leaving the North Sea, that's fine.

The value is reflected in the control and use of sea areas. As long as the German fleet cannot pose a threat to British maritime transportation, no matter how powerful it is, it is of no use. Instead of doing this, it is better to stay at home safely, why risk going to the other side's half?

If it were a battle in history, Jericho would be inclined to the suggestion put forward by this lieutenant general. Under normal circumstances, Betty would not be encouraged to attack too proactively, because in other battlefields, the Allied Powers had considerable advantages. In the Mediterranean

, the French were able to suppress the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and when the Italians joined, they blocked the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the port. Later, the Austro-Hungarian Navy tried to defeat them once, but was sunk by Italian torpedo boats. As for the Indian Ocean

In the Atlantic Ocean, except for submarines, German surface warships were quickly wiped out, and there were almost no decent threats on the water.

But things are different now. In the Indian Ocean, the four most elite fast battleships of the British Royal Navy are confronting their brothers. If everyone pulls them out to fight, it can be said that no one can do anything to anyone. If you want to completely solve this cancer in the Indian Ocean, you must definitely

It is necessary to allocate part of the force from the home fleet. If it is because the German-Turkish fleet is shrinking in the small Persian Gulf, and because the Turkish warships need repairs, and the German fleet has just arrived and needs maintenance, it will not cause too much trouble in a short time.

If it is troublesome, then the situation in the Mediterranean is no longer a cancer, but has developed like a malignant tumor!

The Italian fleet is stepping up its armaments! And has already coordinated relevant matters with Germany. As soon as this news came out, almost the entire Royal Navy's top brass was shocked. The last super-dreadnought of the Italian Navy will be in service this year. By then, the Italian Navy

There are 4 super-dreadnoughts, 3 dreadnoughts and 4 semi-dreadnoughts! With its own strength alone, it is not weaker than the French fleet. If you add the Austro-Hungarian fleet, the consequences are simply unimaginable. Cutting off the transportation in the Mediterranean is not a big deal.

Yes, it is easy to severely damage the French fleet in a direct confrontation. Although the Italians give people the impression that they are not good at fighting, the British are not sure how powerful the French navy is. At least on paper, it is a big disadvantage!

If the British wait until the situation in the Mediterranean worsens before sending troops to support, then I am afraid that the advantage of the British fleet remaining in the North Sea over the German navy will drop to a dangerous level. It doesn't matter if the British army loses two games. If the navy makes a big mistake

If so, the outcome of the war would be decided in one afternoon. Therefore, on the one hand, Jericho and others temporarily blocked the information that the Italians might join the Allies; on the other hand, they were trying to find a way to severely damage Germany before Italy entered the war.

Navy, so that it can be free to support battles in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean in the future.

The main force of the Grand Fleet obviously cannot be dispatched at will. The reason is very simple. With more than 20 capital ships and hundreds of followers, they were discovered all the way away. The Germans must be directly involved. Moreover, the Grand Fleet moves relatively slowly and cannot bite

To keep the opponent at bay, the tasks of luring the enemy and annihilating them by maneuver were left to Betty's fast fleet. And the aggressive Betty also expressed full trust in the fleet in his hands.

In his opinion, he has a hand full of good cards, 4 super-dreadnought battlecruisers: Tiger, Lion, Grand Princess and Queen Mary. There are also 4 dreadnought battlecruisers, Invincible,

Indomitable, Indomitable and Indefatigable. There are a total of 8 battlecruisers. However, his opponent Hipper only has 4 fast battleships, namely 2 Goeben and Mauritius equipped with 8 350mm guns.

Qi, as well as two ships, Von der Tann and Blücher, equipped with 9 12-inch guns. Of course, the British did not know that the Germans had arrived in Helgeland with two "universal battleships" that could reach a speed of 25 knots.

Among them, if the Germans are willing, they can actually save 2 fast battleships for Hipper.

"Do we need to ask the Dutch to transfer the fleet first?" someone suggested. The Dutch Navy ordered two fast battleships from the United States before the war. These two fast battleships were the only ones built by the U.S. Navy during this period.

First-class fast battleships. The others are all iron turtles. Due to funding and design issues, these battleships are only equipped with six 14-inch 45l main guns, named Constitution and Liberty respectively. Although the firepower is not good, their speed and

The protection is quite good, the side string protection is slightly weaker than the American Super Dreadnought, and the speed has reached a maximum speed of 27 knots! The outfitting should have been completed at the Newport News Shipyard, and it will be launched soon.

Delivered to the Dutch Navy.

"It may be too late. It will take about 3 months for the Dutch navy warships to come back at the earliest. And we must start taking action as soon as possible now. What's more, we promised the Dutch before the war to deploy their fleet in the Mediterranean, directly

It is obviously not good to be included in the Grand Fleet." Churchill thought for a while and said.

"In this case, if there is nothing else, let's prepare. Major General Thomas is going to India to replace Major General Hood. And Lieutenant General Betty will consider how to deal with the Germans?" Churchill was about to end the meeting and finally made a summary.

At this moment, a staff officer walked in and handed over a report. After receiving the report, Churchill's expression immediately turned from bright to gloomy, and then handed the report to Jericho without saying a word.

"The Germans actually took action first?" Jericho said in surprise. He didn't expect that the German High Seas Fleet would be so active. What's even more frightening is that the German Navy used their precious navy from the very beginning.

The capital ship once again made the unprepared British Navy suffer a heavy loss. The Harwich Fleet, which was responsible for cruising in the southern North Sea, was severely bitten!
Chapter completed!