The Rise of the Third Reich

It is impossible for the three Lake Essay-class battlecruisers that the Dutch transferred to Germany in April 1942 to go to the North Atlantic to fight night battles. Because they were all transformed into aircraft carriers (only the hull was transferred, without the superstructure, it was easy to transform), they were named "E aircraft carriers".

Now the hulls of the three E aircraft carriers have been completed and have been towed to Wilhelmshaven for outfitting. Sea trials will not be conducted until approximately after the Spring Equinox in 1943.

According to the design, the standard displacement of the E aircraft will be as high as 28,500 tons, and the full-load displacement will exceed 36,000 tons. It will have a double-layer hangar and can carry 72 carrier-based aircraft in full hangar storage mode. If partial deck tethering is adopted, the number of carrier-based aircraft will reach 90. Although it is not as good as the Zeppelin class, it is still a very powerful fleet aircraft carrier.

When the Arctic polar period arrives in the spring of 2043, the European Combined Fleet will have 5 large fleet aircraft carriers (2 Zeppelin class, 3 E aircraft carriers) and 3 light fleet aircraft carriers (2 Seydlitz class, 1 Joffre class) and 3 quasi-fleet aircraft carriers converted from cruise ships (Europa, Bremen, Alsace), a total of 11 very valuable fleet aircraft carriers.

By then, control of the entire Atlantic Ocean will definitely once again be firmly controlled by the European Combined Fleet.

However, in the early morning of December 10, 1942, in the North Atlantic, the European Combined Fleet, which had just won a key naval battle, was still at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

As a result of the damage, Ludendorff withdrew from the battle under the protection of three destroyers and an SP-class reconnaissance cruiser - it would evacuate to Saint-Nazaire, France, together with the Tirpitz, where it would be accepted Overhauled and refitted, the 1st Battle Squadron led by Marshal Lütjens now has only 9 battleships left.

In addition, in the third team, there are the battleship Gneisenau, two Dunkirk-class battlecruisers, and three P-class guided missile cruisers that are as powerful as battleships.

Excluding P-class guided missile cruisers (they seem to have become specialists in last-hitting, but they have nothing to do with battle line artillery battles), there are only 12 European Combined Fleet battleships/battle cruisers left in the North Atlantic. .

On the British, American and Soviet side, there are still 20, no, there are still 22 battleships/battlecruisers for the time being.

Because the battleships Massachusetts and Alabama still persisted and did not sink.

"boom……"

Nine battleships of the European Combined Fleet caught up with the lone Massachusetts 30 minutes ago, and then launched an artillery battle with disparity in strength. With each salvo, dozens of shells passed through the dark sky, slamming into the Massachusetts with rage, hatred, and the desire for victory.

Explosions continued to ring out from the ill-fated American battleship, along with billows of smoke and fire. Two 406mm armor-piercing shells hit the No. 2 and No. 3 turrets of the Massachusetts. The violent explosion blew the two turrets off and fell into the icy Atlantic Ocean. But the remaining main and secondary guns of the Massachusetts were still firing desperately.

At 1:05 in the morning, the battleship Rome fired a key shell. The 381mm armor-piercing projectile penetrated the side waterline armor belt of the Massachusetts. After a violent roar, the battleship Massachusetts lost all power.

Seeing the American battleship stopped moving in the light of the fire, Marshal Lütjens put down his telescope, exhaled softly, and then said to Lieutenant General Messer, the chief of staff beside him: "It has lost power... This cruel battle The artillery battle should be over. Now stop the bombardment and signal to the other side that I will allow them to sink the ship and surrender gracefully."

"As you command, Your Excellency Marshal."

What Lütjens is showing now is the "chivalry" of old Europe. Because today's Germany has truly realized the co-governance of Juncker and the Nazi Party, the traditional chivalry has not been extinguished.

According to the "honest propaganda minister" Goebbels, Germany is waging a "knight's war" rather than a "butcher's war."

However, Lütjens allowed the opponent to scuttle the warship and then surrender, not entirely because of chivalry, but because his formation had 6 battleships equipped with "drug cannons" - Richelieu-class battleships and Veneto-class battleships The main gun is very powerful, but the life of the barrel and the medicine chamber are not long, so it cannot be fired endlessly. If the limited service life is used up, Lütjens's fleet will not be able to deal with the NR21 fleet.

At 1:07, one minute after the Hindenburg signaled, all the artillery on the Massachusetts stopped firing, and the sea that had been under heavy fire suddenly returned to calm. Although the Americans did not respond in lantern language, they apparently began to abandon their warships in accordance with Lütjens' request...

"Marshal, received a telegram from the Gneisenau, the 3rd team sank the target ship!"

Three minutes later, Lütjens received another good news - three V3 missiles hit the USS Alabama, blowing the battleship into two pieces and killing most of the more than a thousand U.S. Navy officers and soldiers on board. Some of them sank into the Atlantic Ocean together with the warships.

After hearing the news, Lütjens showed a satisfied smile, "We have sunk 5 battleships, and they are all cutting-edge battleships. Now we have the final say in the North Atlantic." He turned to look at Chief of Staff Mei Lieutenant General Serge, "Where are their transport fleets now?"

"In the G5 sea area, close to Greenland." Messer answered.

The NR21 fleet was under constant surveillance by German seaplanes and submarines, so Vice Admiral Messer knew its location very well. When the main force of the Allied Combined Fleet went to fight the main force of the European Combined Fleet, the NR21 fleet, under the protection of the escort fleet with 12 old battleships as the core, has been moving northeast and is now close to Greenland.

"The climate along the coast of Greenland is very harsh. There is wind and snow at every turn. The sea is full of ice floes and some icebergs. There are countless small islands along the coast." Lieutenant General Messer said, "So our Seaplanes and submarines will lose them at any time."

"That's why they are close to Greenland." Lütjens shrugged. "Our enemies are very experienced and veteran navies who know how to take advantage of bad weather."

"Your Majesty Marshal, are we going north?"

"No." Lütjens shook his head and said with a smile, "We are not going to fight on the sea where there are icebergs and fragmented islands everywhere. It is a battlefield for the weaker side to make a comeback."

Complex sea conditions, complex terrain, and harsh climate have always been beneficial to the weak. Now Lütjens had a great advantage, and there was no need to risk being ambushed by destroyers and mines.

"We will wait near Iceland," Lütjens had already made up his mind, "and then let the mine squadron go to the sea off Reykjavik to lay thousands of mines. When they pass through the mine field, we will use battleships and The torpedo ship attacked."

In the huge fleet that Lütjens brought to the North Atlantic, there were also 10 Y-class fast mine-laying cruisers and 10 ordinary mine-laying ships converted from merchant ships. Among them, the Y-class fast mine-laying cruiser has a displacement of 5,750 tons, can carry 400 magnetic mines, and can reach a speed of 28 knots. The 10 modified minelayers can carry a total of 3,500 magnetic mines.

In addition, the remaining hulls of the mine team (including 1 SP-class reconnaissance cruiser, 10 Brak-class torpedo ships and 10 Philan-class torpedo ships) also carry 1,200 magnetic mines.

In other words, a total of 8,700 mines can be deployed in the target waters. Although these mines are not enough to completely block the port of Reykjavik, they will still cause considerable losses to the passing fleet. If the European combined fleet takes the opportunity to attack again, it will definitely gain a lot.

…

"Comrade Military Commissar, we have contacted the Red Caucasus and the Kirov. They are safe and sound, and nearly 2,000 British and American naval officers and soldiers have been salvaged."

At 8:15 a.m. on December 10, Bulganin had just gotten up after taking a nap in his political commissar's cabin, and Kuznetsov came excitedly to report the good news to him.

"Great, even the Red Caucasus and Kirov are fine." Bulganin laughed a few times, "It seems that the Red Navy has withstood the test! Comrade Kuznetsov, where are we now?" "

Kuznetsov replied: "We have merged with the NR21 fleet, and the Kronstadt and Sevastopol have also arrived."

"Then can we reach Iceland safely now?" Bulganin's smile was quickly replaced by a look of anxiety.

In last night's battle, although the Soviet Red Navy did not suffer much losses, it was definitely defeated, and it was a disastrous defeat! Although after joining forces with NR21 and the escort fleet, the Allied Combined Fleet can still produce 18 battleships/battlecruisers.

But most of these 18 battleships/battlecruisers are obsolete items from the World War I era, and only 6 Soviet ships are new.

Kuznetsov's face also became serious. He shook his head and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I have discussed with General Ingersoll and Lieutenant General Fraser for several hours and believe that it is impossible to go to Iceland for the time being. Because Germany People will definitely be waiting there for me to come, and they will probably lay a large number of mines in the waters near Iceland."

"What should we do?"

"After crossing the Denmark Strait, the NR21 fleet split into two, and most of the ships headed south to Scapa Flow."

"Going south to Scapa Flow?" Bulganin was surprised, "How is this possible? Won't the Germans intercept it midway?"

Kuznetsov smiled bitterly and shook his head and said: "No, Admiral Ingersoll is going to use some bait to lure away the German fleet."

"Bait? What bait?"

"100 freighters...the total tonnage is almost 1 million tons!"