At 8 o'clock on the night of February 11, the German North Sea Fleet after the confluence returned to the coast of Norway. The specific location was about 1000 nautical miles northwest of Bergen, and only 1000 nautical miles from Meinland Islands in the Shetland Islands and about 1000 nautical miles from the Faroe Islands. ≥

Taking advantage of the opportunity of nightfall, the entire fleet was reorganized and resupply. Most warships were not short of fuel and supplies at this time, but the S boats with a stamina of only 7 o'clock need to resupply fuel and torpedoes. To supplement these more than 5 o'clock S boats, the transport ships and oil tankers from Bergen were temporarily mobilized, in addition to resupply, the transport ships were also responsible for escorting the surviving British Navy officers and soldiers who were fished out from the sea today back to Norway and later sent back to the domestic prisoner-of-war camp.

"You can really make trouble. You used more than 5o torpedoes this morning? Did they sink the main ship or the merchant ship?"

"No...one destroyer, another one ran away."

"Use the latest model of torpedo against destroyers? You can think of it, torpedoes don't have any money?"

"The command given by the commander must be obeyed if you understand it, and if you don't understand it, you must obey it. No matter how you consume 50 torpedo and sink a destroyer, it is also cost-effective."

The slower but powerful firepower, Admiral Tirpitz, Luzov, and Admiral Scher and four destroyers formed the shelling formation; Hippel, Prince Eugen and Seedlitz were included in the aircraft carrier formation as core escorts. Taking advantage of the opportunity of reorganization, Mashar also adjusted the commander's candidates. He believed that Major General Beer was more offensive and changed him to the commander of the shelling fleet. Lieutenant General Kumetz's very cautious characteristics allowed him to play a more prominent role in serving as the commander of the aircraft carrier guard warship. Not only did the Navy Command recognize this adjustment, but both parties accepted it happily.

The only difference is that the USS Schánhorst, Major General Bernard hopes to include this battle cruiser under his jurisdiction, while Kumetz believes that the aircraft carrier formation has insufficient artillery firepower and is best to serve as a fleet guard. After careful study, the USS Schánhorst eventually stayed in the aircraft carrier formation, but once the shelling formation needs to be the first to rush to reinforce.

The situation of Redell did not transfer Hoffman's complaints to the troops was already like this, and he did not want to pour cold water on the fleet. But as the excitement of eliminating enemy ships passed, the disadvantage of wasting five hours to chase the British cruiser formation this morning was gradually exposed. Not only did Mashal, Kumetz and other senior officers realized this, and the staff members who planned the plan also began to worry: According to the original plan, the Tilpitz formation should attract the British fleet that afternoon, and then the main fleet passed through the middle waters of the Shetland Islands in the dark and successfully broke into the Atlantic Ocean. However, the battle took not only 5 hours, but it was more than 10 miles away from the original position. The accumulated consequences made the fleet's original plan to cross at night.

If the original plan is implemented step by step, it will become that it must pass through the Shetlands waters in broad daylight, and no one dares to take such a risk. Even if the weather forecast report shows that there will be wind and snow in the morning, the visibility is not good, and the plane cannot be dispatched, the staff members still think that they are not sure of it after comprehensive weighing: there is only a 40-nautical mile wide waterway in the middle of the Shetlands. If you are sure that the enemy fleet has been transferred and dare to try to cross at night, now you have to give up neither condition, otherwise it will be a time travel but a force attack.

In addition, after attacking the cruiser formation, the position and movements of the North Sea Fleet were exposed, and the enemy could easily judge the trends of the next stage. The staff believed that the British fleet was likely to wait in the triangle area of ​​the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands and northern Scotland, and the fleet rushed over and could only throw themselves into the trap.

Ozawa and the Japanese staff were very skilled and suggested that the fleet would forcefully cross during the day. Their judgment was that the Royal Navy had not completed the dispatch of the sea area and was not strong at present. Even if the fleet was blocked, it could kill all the way. However, this suggestion was rejected by Mashar and others without hesitation. He believed that the British fleet should have 4-5 main battleships. Although no single ship's combat power is comparable to the Tilpitz, Germany could only take out such a main battleship. The 283mm naval guns on several warships such as Schänhorst are more than enough to deal with cruisers or merchant ships, and it is not enough to deal with the main battleships.

No one expected that although it sounded adventurous, the view of the Japanese staff was closer to the truth: At this moment, the Royal Navy had only one e-fleet in this triangular waters, one was the Arkansse and the other was the Ramiri. The entire German fleet could completely gain the upper hand when fighting head-on. Unfortunately, Maschar's caution made him reject such risky behavior.

The fleet finally prepared to find another way, turning the originally planned 11-day night into the Atlantic Ocean and the 12-day night into the 12-day night, and the tsunami plan was planned to extend the overall one day. Since we no longer walked on the Shetland waters, we only had two routes left when we chose a new breakthrough route: the first was to walk the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland, which was called the Western Front, and the second was to walk the waterway between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The British called it the Central Line.

After careful calculations, the staff officers found that if they want to cross at night, it is not safe to go to the Western Front: from now on, the fleet must march overnight at a height of more than 26 knots, and there is no delay in the middle. This is a very dangerous strategy. Not only can all ships not advance with economic navigation, but if they encounter enemy warships, there is no need to touch the Royal Navy warships. As long as they encounter a trawler or transport ship that emits an alarm signal, it will cause unnecessary trouble to the fleet.

"Can you only go to the Iceland-Farrow waterway?" Mashal asked worriedly, "Does the submarine have clear information in this direction come?"

"No, but we think the enemy will have a fleet arranged there. The problem is the number, ship type and our crossing." said Shoen, Chief of Staff of the North Sea Fleet. "According to the repeated operations on the map, we have formulated a plan: the main force of the fleet will advance northwest along the existing route with a 18-knot, and will reach the 64-degree north latitude at 6 pm tomorrow, and then turn southwest at 24-knots and cross the Iceland-Farrow waterway. If everything goes well, you can enter the Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of the 13th. At this time, the distance from Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Britain is over 40 kilometers, which can effectively get rid of its air defense circle."

“What is the biggest risk?”

"If it is revealed by the enemy on the way, you can only turn around and drive further away. The time of the rushing is delayed for another one day, and it will lead to the Danish Strait entering the Atlantic Ocean on the night of the 13th." Shaon sighed, "It is best not to delay the time anymore. Information from all aspects shows that the British mobilized fleets on all sides to encircle. The Navy Command reported that the reinforcements of the US Atlantic Fleet have been released and will arrive within 3-5 days. The later the time is, the more unfavorable it will be for us."

Mashar agrees deeply: Although the fleet was dispatched this time when the Royal Navy was relatively weak, the fleet was to implement the tsunami plan rather than to find the enemy to fight to the decisive battle. If the Gibraltar passage is opened at this time, all the axial naval forces gathered in the Mediterranean can burst out, and there is no fear of a decisive battle. The strength of the North Sea Fleet alone will be weaker.

"Give the changed plan to Berlin, let Major General Bei lead the shelling formation to take the lead, and we will act in an hour."

The Watchman destroyer, who escaped by chance this morning, drove away from the war zone as quickly as possible and headed towards Edinburgh. As soon as he arrived at the dock, the Naval Intelligence Department officials who had already waited here immediately took off the film taken by the warship and sent it to the London Admiralty with an airplane. Originally, there were a group of such photos on the Loyalty, but they were sunk in the North Sea. Therefore, what the senior officials of the Admiralty saw were the photos taken from the left wing by the officers and soldiers of the Watchman who risked their lives.

"It's indeed an aircraft carrier..." Although the photos taken are not particularly ideal due to the distance and the sky, naval experts can see at a glance that this is a "real" aircraft carrier, not a warship dressed by tankers or other ships. By comparing the volume of the surrounding guards, it was confirmed that the tonnage was not below 40,000 tons.

This judgment made all the senior officials of the Admiralty frown: The Germans are not kind!

"After Lin Xian left the battlefield, we lost contact with the main force of the German fleet. There is only one thing that is certain, just to rush to the size of this fleet and the number of aircraft carriers. They are by no means to pick up the Tirpitz back home."

Churchill asked worriedly: "What is your judgment?"

"The enemy's greatest possibility is to move in the northwest direction and then wait for an opportunity to break into the Atlantic Ocean, break through the channels or go to the western front or the mid-line."

"Do we have other deployments on this route?"

"No more." Tovey shook his head and explained, "All merchant ships in this area have returned to the port in accordance with the warning orders. We have only deployed a few trawlers, but like enemy ships operating at night, it is almost useless." Britain is not as rich as a radar for fishing boats. They use the most traditional visual observation. In the North Atlantic Ocean, where wind and snow are mixed, the observation level at night can be almost as low as negligible.

"What should I do now? Let the e-Fleet and the Fleet be guarded separately?"

"We intend to place the main force of the fleet at about 10 a mile northeast of Iceland. Whether the Germans go on the Western or the Central Line, we have the opportunity to encounter and intercept them."

"Are you sure?"

"Once the interception is successful, the fleet is not ready to engage in a head-on battle, just attract them, and then let the two fleets merge and then fight." Tovey sighed, "At present, we are not strong enough, so we can only adopt this strategy."

Churchill remained silent and made up his mind after a long time: "We can respond according to this strategy first, and no matter what, the Germans cannot be allowed to enter the Atlantic route." (To be continued.)8
Chapter completed!