70 – Episode 70 Battle of the North Sea (1)
If you ask people of this era to name the most powerful power in the world, nine out of ten would say the British Empire. The world’s largest and most powerful navy, a vast territory covering 25% of the Earth’s area, and the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Britain was clearly a country that could be called the first great power.
There was a country that challenged that position.
It was Germany.
Germany desperately pursued British naval power through a large-scale naval ship policy. The results were so great that the Royal Navy also had to pursue a large-scale shipbuilding plan.
The two countries’ navies, which occupied the world’s first and second place in name and reality, regarded each other as rivals and waited for the moment when a confrontation would occur.
When war finally broke out, the British Navy cheered.
However, the opportunity for a naval battle did not come as expected.
The German Navy thoroughly employed a strategy of destroying existing fleets and trade, and avoided direct confrontation with the British Navy. However, this did not mean that Germany had no interest in naval warfare.
The German Navy frequently dispatched cruisers to interfere with the British Navy’s inspection of merchant ships.
Meanwhile, Room 40 of the British intelligence agency succeeded in deciphering the German naval code.
“The Germans will try to break through in the North Sea?”
It was not an unreliable story.
If more light cruisers or armed merchant ships entered the North Atlantic, a difficult situation would inevitably arise for the Royal Navy.
“It worked out well. “If they sink all of their warships, they won’t have such foolish dreams.”
The British Navy trusted the deciphered message and assembled a large fleet.
On October 6, 1915, the British Grand Fleet departed from Scapa Flow and discovered a German cruiser inspecting neutral ships near Helgoland Island.
As soon as the German cruiser saw the British ships, it immediately fled.
“That’s strange.”
No movement of the German Navy, which should have been clearly visible, was detected at all.
The British fleet, thinking that Germany had canceled the operation just before the operation, hastened to return.
When they reached the port, a message arrived from their home country.
“The German fleet has sortied again?”
This time, they said it was solid information.
The British fleet hurriedly turned its nose and increased speed toward the Jutland Peninsula. This time, the crew was fired with determination to defeat the German fleet.
But, this time too, it was all in vain.
“How on earth did you decipher the code to get such crappy results?”
“It’s because the Germans were capricious, it’s not our fault.”
The Navy and Room 40 raised their voices over responsibility.
As soon as the Royal Navy returned to Scapa Flow after conducting two maneuver exercises, a German battlecruiser sortied to the waters off the coast of England, shelled the British coast, and then fled.
“This is proof that decryption is not happening at all. “Decode again from the beginning.”
But none of this was Room 40’s fault.
The problem was that Germany had in mind the possibility of Britain breaking the code.
*
“Cancel the operation.”
On the day of the Ocean Fleet’s sortie, I canceled the operation. Even the naval admirals became irritated when the action of preparing and then ‘cancelling’ the operation was repeated several times.
“Your Majesty. Anyway, this is not it.”
However, when they confirmed the British Navy’s reaction through an airship hovering over the operational area, they all kept their mouths shut.
No?
It was a self-evident fact that if the operation had been carried out as planned, it would have suffered significant losses in the face of the main force of the British Navy.
We used the same password exposed to the British during peacetime.
It was the same when going on a mission.
However, there was only a smell and the operation was canceled from time to time.
It was a ploy to turn the British detoxification agency into a shepherd boy.
While making fools of the British Navy by fiddling with sortie cards, they were also ready to deliver a devastating blow of their own.
“The new random number table has been prepared. “At least for this operation, the British won’t notice anything.”
“Good. “Begin.”
I personally observed the Navy’s operations while sitting at the Ocean Fleet headquarters in Wilhelmshaven.
This time too, it started with an attempt to break through the blockade.
We increased large-scale radio contact and pretended to launch a significant number of ships. On land, they simulated communicating with ocean fleet ships that would be ‘on the sea.’
And soon enough, the bait bit the trap.
“It has appeared. “It’s the British fleet.”
The airship delivered information that the British Navy had dispatched a large number of battleships.
This is my third time, and I thought patience was good.
But you won’t be disappointed this time.
The British Navy stayed around the Jutland Peninsula for half a day, looking for our warships.
How do you find a ship that hasn’t even left the port?
When the British were preparing to retreat to the mainland, we dispatched our prepared ships all at once.
Unlike normal operations, all available combat ships were launched in this sortie.
Six main battleships and 42 ships, including the battlecruiser squadron, were sortied, and nearly 100 auxiliary ships were also launched. It was a number comparable to the power brought by the British Navy this time.
‘Even if we win this naval battle, the geopolitical requirements will not change, but the number of continental expeditionary forces will be reduced.’
If Britain thought its homeland could be threatened immediately, it would have no choice but to hesitate in sending troops to France.
If that happens, France will feel betrayed as it is missing one soldier.
What I wanted to achieve from this naval battle was the division of the Entente Powers.
To get it, you had to win first.
I poured a cold cola into my glass while waiting for the victory report to come from the Ocean Fleet.
*
Super-dreadnought-class battleship HMS Iron Duke
An urgent message was sent to Captain John Jellicoe, who was commanding the British Grand Fleet. As soon as the Admiral received the message, he slammed his fist on the table.
“Those arrogant Germanic bastards, are they playing with us?”
The admiral was angry that the Germans were following and trying to cut off the rear of the fleet, but he felt that this was an opportunity.
“Please send a message to Admiral Beatty. The content is to reverse from the current position and be sure to hold on to the pursuing enemy battlecruiser.”
“You mean a battlecruiser? But that is.”
“It’s dangerous. But the Germans are just as dangerous.”
The admiral rejected the advice of his staff.
As long as we could use this opportunity to destroy the German battlecruiser force, it didn’t matter if we lost all of our battlecruisers. If the level of damage was similar, it was Germany that could not bear the damage.
6 PM.
As soon as Vice Admiral David Beatty heard his commander’s message, he immediately turned the nose of his fleet. There was a saying that fighting a naval battle on a pitch-black night was too risky, but the admiral gave orders in a firm manner.
“If you’re scared, look at it first and hit it first.”
The British fleet reversed its course with skillful naval maneuvering and quickly advanced towards the German fleet.
9 P.M. Admiral Beatty’s task force discovered German battlecruisers firing at British cruisers.
A staff member assisting the admiral held a book of identification codes and told him the identity of the enemy ship by looking only at the blurred image of the ship reflected in the darkness.
“This is Seidlitz, Your Excellency.”
“It’s a good target. “Concentrate your firepower on him.”
Admiral Beatty’s flagship, the Lion, began firing its 13.5-Inch guns, followed by six battlecruisers and four fast battleships opening fire.
“It’s a lightning strike!”
“Starboard attack!”
While the captain was giving orders to the ship, the admiral personally picked up the telescope.
The dark night sky lit up and darkened repeatedly due to the fire fired by warships on both sides.
“It’s a great night view, but I don’t like the composition.”
The admiral didn’t like the situation where they were fighting each other’s paths, but if he had tried to fight after meeting all the conditions, the enemy might have run away.
While the battle was in full swing, a strong column of water rose up around Lion.
“Where did the artillery fire come from?”
“It’s further back. “German battleships are coming behind the German battlecruiser group.”
At those words, Beatty swallowed his voice.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t prepared when he first received the order.
As a quick response unit, when holding down an enemy battlecruiser, I calculated several times in my head the possibility that the enemy would arrive first.
I didn’t think that was very likely, but surprisingly, the Germans reacted quickly.
Maybe.
Admiral Beatty thought of one possibility.
Could it be that the enemy battleships were coming in the direction the enemy battlecruiser was avoiding from the beginning?
Are you saying that the Germans were setting a trap from the beginning of this operation?
Quang!
At that time, an explosion occurred on board our battlecruisers along with a loud noise.
“Queen Mary attacked! “The speed is dropping.”
As German capital ships began to join the battle, the firepower gap widened to a hopeless level. Beatty had enjoyed the upper hand a little while ago, but now it was Germany who had the upper hand.
“It doesn’t matter. “Just wait an hour and Admiral Jellicoe will come.”
Beatty made his fleet turn sharply to the northwest to buy time. This meant he would have to face a one-sided barrage for a while, but it didn’t matter. He did less damage than honestly exchanging fire with the large German fleet.
“What about destroyers?”
“The lightning strike mission has begun.”
Beatty let out a heavy sigh at the fighting spirit of the destroyer captains who charged courageously to save the outnumbered capital ships.
The tragedy of war drives even the best and most dedicated to death.
The resources that the Navy will lose today were the pillars that will support the Navy in the future.
However, I had to endure it.
It was in the interests of the British Empire to lose small ships rather than immediately lose capital ships.
“New Zealand attacked! “It appears to be above medium frequency.”
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The admiral felt angry at the damage to the battlecruiser, but held back.
Soon, there will be an opportunity to pay back.
“We continue to advance. “Keep your response to a minimum.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Beatty clenched his fists as he looked at the German ships emitting orange flashes of light.