After the British removed the signal indicator light on the top, it was time to dismantle the entire anti-submarine network. A typical anti-submarine network is 120 feet long, while the width is different due to different models. The width is 30 feet, 60 feet, 80 feet and 120 feet respectively. The mesh diameter of these anti-submarine networks is between 10 and 12 inches, and the weight of an anti-submarine network is between 150 pounds and 300 pounds. As an anti-submarine network that is often several kilometers long, the British naturally cannot cast one by one when deploying it, so the efficiency is too low.

Therefore, the British practice was to generally combine 10 nets into a group, with steel pipes connected at the tops and fixed with floating bodies. However, when the British demolished, it was impossible for the British to directly pull an anti-submarine net of up to 1,200 feet out of the water surface. So what the Germans had to do was to remove the steel beams of these anti-submarine nets bit by bit, and then take away the scattered anti-submarine nets one by one.

If this is the case, the matter is not complicated, but in fact, in order to deal with those omnipresent German submarines, the British set up some special anti-submarine networks, which were called the hang-on anti-submarine network within the British Navy. As the name suggests, this thing is to hang a mine on the lower part of the anti-submarine network. Once the German submarine encounters it, then I feel embarrassed to be directly destroyed by the mines under the anti-submarine network!

Now, the British were only interested in laying the ground, and they didn't expect that it would be really troublesome when it was time to demolish it... And the worst thing is that some anti-submarine networks are still underwater and cannot be seen on the water surface. The British naturally have anti-submarine network layout maps, but unfortunately, after a long period of sea water washing, the location of the anti-submarine network will definitely be offset... So, this is troublesome!

Therefore, the British, who were in a hurry, could only use some relatively rough methods. They used deep-water bombs and detonation minesweepers to clear the entire sea. Just outside Dunkirk, bursts of continuous explosions came from time to time. The explosion occurred after the British used Groft deep bombs to launch deep bombs and deep-water bomb guides to detonate the minefield.

Just when the British were busy, an accident cast a shadow on the entire "demolition" operation. When a destroyer used anti-submarine launcher to clear a minefield, the mine deployment density was a bit high, resulting in a domino effect. After a deep bomb fell into the water, it detonated more than a dozen mines around it. One of the mines had an accident of anchoring, which happened to approach the destroyer. Under the chain explosion, the unlucky British destroyer was also sunk.

In fact, this kind of thing happened frequently in history. At this time, the fuse of the MK6 torpedo, the largest used by the British, was very unreliable. Sometimes it was not blown up, but sometimes it was a mine explosion that would detonate a mine around it... This was not only a design problem, but also a product quality was difficult to control due to the participation of a large number of private factories. In history, there was something that made the British very embarrassed and surprised the Germans. On June 8, 1918, the U107 submarine recorded a total of 167 suspected mine explosions when crossing the minefield, but these explosions had nothing to do with the submarine...

However, even so, one thing to be sure is that the anti-submarine network and minefield deployed in the English Channel still play a great role. Although there was no sinking several German submarines, the risk of Germans passing through this place was very high due to the overly dangerous environment and the British navy patrol day and night. The memories of German submarine personnel described the scene of submarines colliding with mines or anti-submarine network anchor chains. Although everyone knows that the British mines are very unreliable, they are not afraid of ten thousand in everything, but only for one. Therefore, the final result is that more than 80% of German submarines would rather go around the North Sea for an additional 500 nautical miles than pass through the English Channel.

When the British were making final preparations for withdrawal, the Luftwaffe did not relax. After breaking through the Port of Calais, Luftwaffe's planes appeared more and more over Dunkirk, and the British's actions naturally did not avoid the German eyes.

The daytime in Dunkirk is more dangerous than the night, so these mine-clearing and obstacle removal are usually carried out at night or during the day when the weather is bad. However, even so, both the demolition operations at sea and the temporary docks built on the coastal areas near Dunkirk have attracted the attention of the Luftwaffe.

"The British are ready to escape. They have demolished the anti-submarine network and minefields in the four southern blocks. It turns out that the barrier that crosses the eastern section of the English Channel has also been dealt with more than 40%. It seems that the British navy is preparing to enter the English Channel from the east." Admiral Harrel wrote in his letter to Crown Prince Ruprecht.

Someone may ask why the British could not keep the obstacles to the eastern section exit and then circled a circle to enter from the western section entrance of the English Channel? The reason is very simple. The British also deployed a large number of mines and obstacles at the western section entrance. Now, the French have betrayed. If the British appeared near the French port at this time, what do you think the French would think? The same is to demolish it, one is to demolish it in Dunkirk, which both sides of the strait are under their control, and the other is to demolish it under the eye of the shore artillery and torpedo boats along the northern coast of the French. Which one would you choose? What's more, the British fleet is not enough fuel now, and the cruise speed of the light cruiser is limited to 14 knots. Destroyers are also limited to 18 knots. Bypassing the entire UK is a long journey!

At this time, Ruprecht also returned from the front line to the German Western Front Base Camp in Brussels. Admiral Schell, commander of the German High Seas Fleet, and Admiral Hippel, commander of the Rapid Fleet, also came to Brussels. Now the war on land is enough to be handed over to Moltke and others. Ruprecht needs to discuss how to fight the final battle at sea.

What surprised Ruprecht was that this time, the US Navy delegation led by U.S. Navy Secretary General Benson strongly demanded that Germany allow Americans to participate in the next few battles as an individual. It seems that the Americans also want to spend the last period of time to make up for their naval practical experience. The so-called "paper-study" is the truth. And the prince was happy to agree to the request of the Americans. With the reunion of the top leaders of the German Navy, the final battle of World War I finally kicked off, and in the next month, the British Royal Navy also suffered the most tragic losses since its establishment!
Chapter completed!