Chapter 720 The World Needs America!
The Iron Duke class battleship was the last class of dreadnoughts completed by Britain before the war. The Iron Duke class battleship is the pride of the British Royal Navy today. The caliber of the main guns of the British main battleships exceeded twelve inches, which also became a direct standard for dividing dreadnoughts and super dreadnoughts.
The British Iron Duke class battleships had a clear advantage in firepower. At the beginning of the battle, John Jellicoe used four Iron Duke class battleships to decide the outcome of the naval battle. This was completely different from the considerations of the German High Seas Fleet. John Jellicoe hoped to win the naval battle by relying on the tonnage advantage of the British Grand Fleet.
This is a contest between comprehensive protection and key protection, as well as a contest between caliber and mature technology. In the field of heavy howitzers, the Allied camp had world-famous arsenals such as Germany's Krupp and Austro-Hungarian Skoda, so they conservatively chose the existing mature technology and did not blindly pursue caliber. Who is right and who is wrong will be decided in this naval battle.
John Jellicoe and Reinhartscher placed the weight of victory in different positions. Compared with Reinhartscher's boldness and sharpness, John Jellicoe chose a bold but impeccable response plan.
"If this naval battle is delayed for a month, the situation we face will be much better. There are still several main battleships coming down from the slipway." In the bumpy command tower, John Jellicoe's feet seemed to have taken root, and he was not affected by the boiling sea, but he still sighed about the current battle situation.
This was not the best time. Unlike Beatty, John Jellicoe was not a bold and sharp naval commander. He seemed much more stable. However, for the overall war situation, the Royal Navy needed a commander like him at this time.
But even for a steady general, the honor of the British Royal Navy for three hundred years does not allow him to stay indoors when facing maritime provocations. Admiral John Jellicoe made the same choice as David Beatty.
There was no trickery involved, and the ships had to maintain formation while moving at high speed. The main gun confrontation was certainly exciting, but it was also a test of the courage and endurance of the two countries and two navies.
The German King-class battleship fleet faced the British Iron Duke-class battleships, which had five 305mm 50-caliber twin-mounted guns, 14 149mm 45-caliber single-mounted guns, six 88mm 45-caliber single-mounted guns, and five 500mm underwater torpedo tubes. Armor: 350mm on the side, 100mm on the deck, 300mm on the gun mount, 300mm on the front of the turret, and 300mm on the conning tower.
The two main guns of the King's No. 1 turret fired one after another, and under the illumination of the searchlight, the trajectory of the shells could be seen with the naked eye. Although the distance between the two warships was basically a face-to-face melee, the two shells flew past the edge of the enemy ship's bridge observation platform, and one hit the front chimney next to the main bridge, passing directly through, and the damage to the warship was completely negligible.
The situation of the King was just the tip of the iceberg in the vast ocean. Dangers were everywhere on the rough sea. The advantage of the British Grand Fleet in total tonnage was mainly reflected in the pre-dreadnoughts, cruisers and destroyer formations. On the contrary, it had little advantage in dreadnoughts. In addition, the battlecruiser formation with four King George V-class battleships was still somewhat powerless when facing Hipper's fleet.
Every second, large-caliber shells that could affect the fate of the fleet were fired from the main turrets of both sides. There was an earth-shaking roar, followed by a stinging sound of metal friction, an eardrum-piercing sound that was enough to shudder at everyone's fear. It was as if the gates of hell had been opened, and it made one shudder with fear.
The sturdy turret disappeared, and the sailors who were there just now were nowhere to be seen. This thrilling collision lasted only three or four seconds, and the sailors who witnessed it felt as long as a century. They didn't know whether it was sea water or cold sweat on their bodies, which stimulated their nerves in the sea breeze at the end of February.
But soon the honor of the Royal Navy made these British sailors wake up and realize that the battle will continue. They must uphold the ancient honor of the Royal Navy and strive for the final victory in the naval battle.
Before the crews of both sides could catch their breath, a new battle was about to begin. In this narrow battlefield, whoever could hold on to the end with courage and will would be the winner.
The great British Royal Navy once again thwarted the German High Seas Fleet's plot, prevented the threat to world peace, and entered the ocean to absorb nutrients.
Germany also claimed to be the winner of this naval battle. In terms of total tonnage, Germany sank five dreadnoughts of the British Royal Navy in exchange for three, and could claim to be the winner of this naval battle. Including the British auxiliary warships sunk in the battle area, including armored cruisers and destroyers, the German High Seas Fleet once again exchanged a good exchange ratio at a relatively small cost.
On land, the German army's day and night attacks had not stopped, the Verdun fortress was still in danger, and the entire battlefield situation was fraught with danger. The opening drama of 1916 allowed Britain and France on the Western Front to see Germany's determination to end the war.
The entire Allied camp was in a precarious situation. It had been more than a year since the war began, and the Central Powers led by Germany had always held a relative advantage on the entire battlefield. It had to be said that this was a frustrating fact.
Before the war began, both camps had full confidence in their own strength, but now that the war has come to this point, their previous optimism about the war has long since disappeared, and they are now like a gambler who has lost all his money, constantly raising the stakes until the other side can no longer hold on.
The slave owner who was celebrating Louisa Morgan's birthday could not openly laugh at the British people's embarrassment in the presence of many distinguished guests, so he could only laugh secretly with the head of the bodyguards.
Historically, at the critical moment when the Verdun fortress was facing the attack of the German army, Britain would launch the Battle of the Somme to share the pressure of the French defenders of the Versailles fortress. On the Eastern Front, Imperial Russia would launch the Brusilov Offensive. Both of these major battles were rescue battles with the Battle of Verdun as the core.
But now, facing the attack of the German High Seas Fleet, the British Royal Navy is no longer able to lock down this German sea tiger. Can it still calmly launch the Battle of the Somme?
"Everyone knows that now is the time to fight to the death." Sheffield sneered secretly, "Now we can say that John and Brown have successfully survived the most dangerous time. No one is paying attention to the Middle East anymore."
Sheffield walked into the ball and saw Louisa Morgan in her dress. He praised her sincerely, "My dear, you are so beautiful. You are the focus of everyone wherever you go."
"It's okay for others to compliment you, but it's different for you, dear." Louisa Morgan threw a wink, then straightened her face and pointed at a man who had not left, "Mr. Eden, he's the assistant to the British ambassador."
"Hello, Mr. Aiden. Welcome to Louisa's birthday party." Sheffield smiled and extended his hand, completely different from the ugly way he had just ridiculed the British, and fully demonstrated the meanness and shamelessness of the slave-owning class.
"Mr. William, I have always wanted to meet you." Aiden said enthusiastically, "In fact, I have always said that the whole world needs the United States now, and the relationship between Britain and the United States is thicker than blood."
"Blood is thicker than water, it's true!" Sheffield nodded, but does the world really need the United States? This matter still needs to be considered.
Sheffield knew that they were true imperialists. After World War I, they defaulted on the loans the United States had made to the Allies in the name of protecting the civilized world, even though the victims were the Morgan Alliance and the Rockefeller family and had nothing to do with him.
Hearing Sheffield's approval of blood being thicker than water, Eden said, "Now only the United States has the energy to end the war."
To be a sucker? Sheffield thought that the British gentleman might have misunderstood, as he didn't seem to say anything.
"Let's change to a more formal setting so we can have a good talk." Louisa Morgan said somewhat dissatisfiedly, "This is my birthday party now."
"Just like a little kid!" Sheffield reached out and gently stroked Louisa Morgan's cheek. "Of course you are the undisputed protagonist. Who dares to say otherwise? I'll let Jesla go and talk to him."
Aiden certainly knew that the head of the bodyguards around the slave owner represented the skeleton of the mercenary army that was fighting the British Empire in the Middle East. "In fact, there are many things that can be discussed between our two countries. We even have a better basis for discussion than with France and Russia. Many things are really just a misunderstanding."
"Of course misunderstandings can be discussed, just like when an airship accidentally crossed the border, didn't everyone talk it out? Misunderstandings are misunderstandings. They can't block the relationship between Britain and the United States." Sheffield changed the subject and said, "Now it's Louisa's birthday party. Let's not talk about these heavy things. Just enjoy the present."
Louisa Morgan agreed very much, and took Sheffield's hand and walked towards the other guests, "You know? Many British people now pay great attention to you."
"I really didn't know about this." Sheffield lowered his voice and said, "Happy birthday, dear. Thank God for bringing you to this world. If this day wasn't your birthday, the whole world would be eclipsed."
"I didn't see anything else, but the British ambassador's assistant just now was indeed very overshadowed. In fact, you can hear that he wanted to talk to you." Louisa Morgan smiled brightly and nodded at the guest who greeted her.
"It's not the right time yet! Britain has been holding back on its strength in the past two years and is only starting to get anxious now." Sheffield shook his head.
(End of this chapter)
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