Blood and Iron Germany[Part Two]

Aboard the Royal Navy's battleship *HMS Edward VII*, Vice Admiral Cavison stood on the foredeck, sipping his coffee and enjoying the sea breeze as he watched the sailors diligently scrub the deck.

"Well done, lads. The deck must shine. When I was a young sailor, I too had to scrub the deck every morning, just like you," Vice Admiral Cavison remarked, his mood seemingly quite pleasant.

Though the German forces had not attacked Le Havre in recent days, this was undoubtedly due to the deterrent effect of the British fleet, which had kept the Germans at bay. The fact that a single fleet could intimidate hundreds of thousands of German soldiers was an achievement Cavison could boast of for the rest of his life. Of course, he still hoped that the Germans would launch an assault—only then could he lead his fleet to inflict even greater damage upon them, thereby adding to his already considerable bragging rights.

At that moment, Vice Admiral Cavison was entirely unaware of the imminent crisis about to unfold. Were he aware, he likely wouldn't have been enjoying his coffee while gazing at the sea.

"Admiral, urgent telegram from the Expeditionary Force Headquarters!" one of the staff officers shouted.

"What's the matter? Has the German offensive begun again? Have the ships prepare to move to Le Havre, and let's teach the Germans a lesson with our naval guns!" Vice Admiral Cavison barked.

However, when the staff officer handed him the telegram, and he read its contents, the vice admiral's voice fell silent. It was as if the noisy quacking of a duck had been suddenly silenced by someone gripping its throat.

The telegram was brief, but it struck Cavison as though he'd been struck by lightning.

"The Germans have launched a large-scale airstrike. Immediate evasive action required!"

"Damn it! Order the fleet to increase speed and head west at once!" Vice Admiral Cavison shouted hoarsely.

Although he had not participated in the decisive naval battle between the German and British fleets, as a senior officer of the Royal Navy, Cavison was well aware of the battle's details. He knew that German aircraft had sunk several British Dreadnoughts—although they were the older, less capable ships. Still, those ships were undeniably far superior to the pre-dreadnoughts they currently sailed with. If the Germans' planes could easily sink the Dreadnoughts, it would be child's play to destroy the Royal Navy's older ships.

The vice admiral's order puzzled the British fleet. Their mission was to assist the Expeditionary Force in holding Le Havre—why the sudden departure?

Nevertheless, they obeyed the command, for duty was their calling. Some of the more astute officers had already deduced that something had gone awry. Perhaps the German battle fleet had arrived? In that case, their own fleet, made up of pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers, might be obliterated immediately. Otherwise, they would likely be sunk without a trace.

Cavison's sudden orders caused a degree of chaos within the fleet. Ships were turning abruptly, nearly triggering a collision.

At that moment, German Navy aircraft from the 3rd and 4th Squadrons appeared in the eastern sky.

"Whooo!" 

The shrill sound of alarms rang out across the entire fleet. The Royal Navy personnel were stunned, their faces draining of color. Veteran sailors knew exactly what the shriek meant.

"My God! Are the Germans here? Where are they?" a Royal Navy officer cried out.

"Sir, in the sky! The Germans are in the sky! So many planes!" another officer shouted.

When the Royal Navy officer raised his binoculars and spotted the German planes, he was left speechless.

"Sir, the Admiral has ordered all ships to scatter and evade. We must avoid the German attack."

A tight formation would surely make the fleet an ideal target for the German planes. Only by dispersing could they evade the attack. However, the ships would need to be fast and heavily armed with anti-aircraft weapons to survive. Otherwise, they would remain helpless lambs before the German assault.

Following the battle between the British and German fleets, the Royal Navy had come to recognize the threat posed by carrier-based aircraft. They had made preparations, such as installing anti-aircraft guns on their warships. Yet, only the major battleships received such upgrades. The older pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers had been deemed unnecessary for such modifications.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" 

The commander of the German naval air force issued the attack order. Three red flares soared into the sky, signaling to all pilots. This signal meant that the aircraft were now free to hunt in small squads.

Once the order was given, over a hundred German aircraft immediately altered their formation, scattering from their previous tight configuration. They now advanced in squads of four, making a beeline for the British warships below.

"My God! Speed up! The German planes are here!" shouted the captain of the *HMS Indomitable*, a dreadnought of the *Edward VII* class, his face filled with fear.

At a mere 16,000 tons, the *Indomitable* was relatively small compared to modern battleships with displacements in the tens of thousands. Yet, in the face of German aircraft, the *Indomitable* was an immense target.

But now, the *Indomitable* was fleeing in panic, its crew scrambling to escape the oncoming assault.

Four torpedo bombers locked onto the *Indomitable*. Guided by their leader, the aircraft dropped altitude and closed in.

Minutes later, the four torpedo bombers launched their attack, releasing their torpedoes from a distance of fewer than 500 meters.

Four 450-mm medium torpedoes splashed into the sea and immediately began to rise, speeding toward the *Indomitable*, sending the British sailors into a panic, their screams echoing through the ship.

"Evasive action! Evasive action, now!" the captain bellowed.