"9 large warships? Well, that's right, it's Betty's fleet. It seems that they hope to have another Skaglack-style sea battle. I have always felt deeply regretful for not experiencing that naval battle personally. Maybe today, it can make up for my regret!" In the combat room of the "Earl of Spee", Sorochin stared at the chart table and said excitedly. In fact, as long as he is willing to order the fleet to speed up, it is entirely possible to easily get rid of his opponent before the British arrives. But he doesn't want to do this.

The fleet is now located at the southeast corner of England and is about the same distance to the port of Brest, France.

"Tell General Verennik about the situation, order the supply fleet to sail to Brest at full speed, and we continue to maintain our cruise speed!" Sorochin stared at the chart table and began to issue orders.

Time flew, and it was noon soon. On the bridge of the "Queen Elizabeth", Brigadier General Chatfield stood beside Betty, watching the British main warships sailing through the wind and waves on the sea and rushing to the battlefield. At this time, the sea was no longer so gloomy, and the visibility improved, and occasionally a few rays of sunlight could be emitted in the middle of the clouds.

"General, why do we have to take the risk of a decisive battle with the Germans now? Although the Bay of Biscay is wide, it can still become a cage that imprisons the German navy. In fact, blockade is more beneficial to us than combat." Chatfield said with concern. In comparison, the British fast fleet does not have an advantage over its opponents. If the losses in a naval battle are too serious, it will be difficult to make up for it in the short term.

"The problem is that we do not have enough warships to block them now. The Germans and Austrians have obtained shipyards in France, Italy and even Russia, but our strength is still at the pre-war level. If the war continues for a long time, Britain will definitely be dragged down. Now we need a maritime victory to inspire the people's determination to continue fighting!" Betty said expressionlessly. The Royal Navy is currently under tremendous pressure from the country. If it cannot win a victory in the short term, Britain may fall into chaos and eventually be forced to withdraw from the war.

"A war will eventually be decided!" Betty looked at the sea with a complicated mood and fell into deep thought. At the beginning of the war, he was full of energy and did not take the German fleet seriously at all. But as the war progressed, he felt increasingly unable to do so, and most of his initial ambitions were wiped out.

"The 3rd cruiser team has discovered the enemy fleet, with the target 30 nautical miles ahead!" At this time, the voice of the communication officer interrupted his thoughts.

Betty's whole body shook as if she woke up from a dream. She looked ahead consciously, and then said to the communication officer: "Order all ships to enter the battle preparation!"

The signal flag indicating the battle rose on the flagship, and fighting ringtones rang on the ships. The officers and soldiers began to run to the battle position. The huge muzzles on the warship were raised high and aimed at the sea in the distance.

"The battle is finally about to begin!" Betty said to Chatfield, then quickly returned to the command room inside the bridge.

The battle started first in front of the battle.

Admiral Sorochin's concerns were indeed very reasonable. The British ships Kent and Cumberland armored cruisers departing from Gibraltar were conducting combat cruises on the south side of Biscay Bay. The clouds were thick in the sky, and the warships kept swaying and undulating in the wind and waves. The lookouts around the bridge were at their respective posts, using telescopes to search the sea regularly with telescopes up, down, left and right.

On the Kent, the cable broadcast system on the ship made a sharp flute sound and started the broadcast: "I am the captain, and now I will inform all the crew of the latest news. The German fleet is coming in our direction. Admiral Betty will soon arrive with a fast fleet. Our mission is to discover them and report them to the Admiralty in a timely manner. From now on, the entire ship will enter the state of combat! I need to remind you to strive to maintain a distance from the German ship. Their warships are equipped with 15-inch main guns and can hit us 15 nautical miles away. Please be vigilant!"

"Oh my god, fifteen-inch cannon! What do the Admiralty want us to do? Is it for nothing?" someone on the warship shouted. It is true that Britain built a large number of armored cruisers before the appearance of the dreadnought, but since the appearance of the battlecruisers, these armored cruisers have been in a very embarrassing situation. Apart from bullying the enemy's light cruisers, they cannot be involved in combat at all.

Now, with the advancement of technology, the speed of newly commissioned cruisers exceeds 30 knots. These old armored cruisers even seem to be unable to pursue these cruisers at sea and can only play the role of port guarding. As the "Monmers"-class armored cruisers built in the social period of the century, they seem too old in the face of the rapid development of naval technology. When facing the enemy's battle cruisers, they will fall into a desperate situation where they can't beat, but cannot escape.

After lunch, the lookout hand on the Cumberland discovered in the telescope that several vague things were approaching quickly on the water antenna.

"93 degrees on the port side, find the warship!"

At this time, the outline of the target became larger and larger. Four large warships looked particularly majestic under the gray sky and were sailing quickly towards the British ship.

"Starring 93 degrees, four warships!"

More than a dozen pairs of telescopes looked to the port side together, and the formation commander of the Kent team, Brigadier General Higgins, issued a quick order: "10 degrees right, sail at full speed!"

"Send a report to the Admiralty." Higgins continued to issue an order, and the two British armored cruisers fled to the southern coast of Britain with all their might, while sending reports to the outside.

Meanwhile, Admiral Verenick stayed in the war room on the "Grand Duke of Frederich", "General, should we continue to escort the transport fleet or chase those two British cruisers?" asked the combat staff.

"According to the reconnaissance report of the coastal aircraft, there are no British ships ahead. Order the cruiser to protect the supply fleet into Brest and we will chase the British!" said the admiral.

"But it's hard, the British run faster than the rabbits, we get the British coast to catch up with them!" Schwarzenberg stared at the sea in the distance in the telescope, "They are running away at full speed."

"But we're faster than them, let's start a few shots to scare them." said Willenick, "Let's go and pick the back of Betty's fleet!"

"I understand, one high-explosive bomb!" As the shooting preparation order was issued, the turret commander held the telephone receiver in his hand and shouted to the soldiers in the turret: "One high-explosive bomb, start loading!"

As the buzzing friction sound of the hoist sounded, two huge warheads weighing more than 900 kilograms, about one person were transported from 13 meters below the turret of the "Earl Spee" to the inside of the turret. The bulge bolt was opened, and four sailors pushed the warhead into the barrel with push rods on the slide. In the main ammunition depot below the turret, three heavy steel doors isolated the passage between the ammunition depot and the turret ammunition lift.

Once the loading order was issued, the sailors, under the command of the officer, brought the warheads and launching medicine bags designated by the commander of the upper turret to the flatbed trolley, and then sent them to the position of the missile lifter, and then used a lifting chain to carry these warheads weighing one ton onto the ammunition conveyor. Then the electric hoist lifted the warheads to the inside of the turret under the protection of heavy armor, and then loaded them into the barrel in turn.

Then there is the launch medicine package. Generally, three packs of launch medicine weighing about 50 kilograms are required to be filled. If the launch medicine is needed to reduce the launch medicine, the shooting commander will give special orders.

"One high-explosive bomb, the loading is completed!" After the loading is completed, the turret commander not only needs to use a microphone to report to the shooting commander above the bridge, but also need to turn on the completion loading indicator light.

"Elevation angle 27 degrees, azimuth 186! Anton, beta turret equipment!"

After the shooting commander gave instructions, the two huge turrets on the front deck began to rotate one after another, and the thick and cold gun barrels were finely adjusted. The dark muzzles continued to rise. Finally, all five main guns were pointed at the front of the battleship at a large elevation angle.

Verennik immediately ordered the warship to open fire. A few seconds later, with a roar resounding on the sea, the Austro-Hungarian warship began to open fire at a distance of 30,000 meters from the British ship.

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Chapter completed!