Chapter 1103： Battle of the Norwegian Sea (1/2)
Slide 1103
”If you are okay, then we are here. The first, third and fourth detachments of General Moore are each assigned a seaplane carrier. The light cruiser detachment is deployed in the predetermined sea area. We use a new confidential frequency to communicate. In addition, please note, everyone, we have plenty of time to drive the German fleet to the far north. They will definitely not persist longer than us. We must have confidence. If there is no problem, then let’s go! ”Lieutenant General Thomas said, and with his order, the first naval battle in the Norwegian Sea kicked off!
Two days later, the Norwegian Sea. Two huge figures and a smaller figure emerged from the morning sea fog. The two battlecruisers under Hipper's bows, like long knives, cut open the turbulent waves of the North Sea and moved quickly to the north. Leading is naturally Germany's most elite battlecruiser Mochi, and behind is Germany's first battlecruiser, the Blücher. They were followed by a light cruiser.
”Send a signal to Colonel Herhaus and ask about the condition of their ship.” Colonel Von Lefetzoff, who was the captain of the Mauchi, ordered. Because just yesterday, in order to be able to seize the ship transporting supplies to Russia, the two German battlecruisers have maintained a high speed of more than 23 knots, and today, the cutting-edge Mochi is better, but Lücher was already a little tired, and a steam pipe had problems due to excessive pressure, so the fleet's speed was reduced to 20 knots in the last few hours.
”Captain Hullhouse replied that the ship's fault has been eliminated and can continue to maintain a speed of 23 knots or more.” A moment later, an officer said.
”Well, report to General Hipper. Everything will proceed as planned. From now on, we will return in 5 days. If nothing happens, we will contact once a day.” Colonel Von Lefetzoff ordered Tao. The reason for this is to allow the navy headquarters to keep abreast of the movements of the fleet. In the North Sea, the German fleet will not easily report, but in the Norwegian Sea, in this broader waters, it should be no problem. ...... However, this time is different.
”It's the whisper of the devil! The Germans are here!” About 50 nautical miles from the German fleet, Thomas directly commanded the Queen Elizabeth, the Malaya, and the four light cruisers attached to them. Ten destroyers and a seaplane carrier were cruising at low speeds, and east of them, a convoy of transport ships was fast sailing towards Norwegian territorial waters.
Because the British never knew the principle of the new password used by the German Navy, so naturally they couldn't decipher this non-simple replacement password. Therefore, they called this password the whisper of the devil, meaning that only the Devil of Abyss could understand it. This is something that humans cannot decipher.
”Very well, let the decoy fleet report again, and colleagues rule the third squad, prepare the two new queens, Prestige and Counterattack. Once we are lost, they will make up. 1 hour After that, a seaplane was dispatched to track. The fleet turned to 3 compass points to the south, and that was it.”
Lieutenant General Thomas ordered. After a while, the Thomas fleet that received the order began to rush towards the German fleet at a speed of more than 20 knots. At this time, due to the morning sea fog, the visibility of the two sides dropped drastically. If you want to spot a large warship in the distance, The distance between the two parties may be close to within 15 kilometers. It was for this reason that Thomas asked to send a seaplane after a while.
Although there are radio sideways in this era, a deviation of a few degrees is still normal. Thomas can only know the approximate location of the opponent, and in the case of low visibility, he can only order destroyers and light cruisers to disperse. A wide cordon was drawn in front of the two capital ships, searching for the trail of opponents like octopus tentacles. This time Thomas had good luck. After sailing for about an hour, a light cruiser located in the southeast spotted the target.