Chapter 2113： Thomas in action

Moreover, after the British learned the lessons of history, they decisively grasped fire prevention and added 1 inch to 1.5 inch steel plates at the dome position. This increased the total tonnage of the warship by hundreds of tons, and the draft was also good. Increase, and the British’s response is very simple, as long as there are fewer ammunition and fuel... (Historically, after the Battle of Jutland, the British did increase the protection of some battleships, and also increased the armor, which is equivalent to thickening the thickness of the iron pants, which made the German 12-inch naval gun want to penetrate the battleship. The defense is very difficult. Even if it can penetrate the upper 9-inch armor, it can no longer penetrate the thickened dome at the back. Of course, if it is a water bomb, the British ship can't help it!)

The British fleet is similar to the German fleet. The Spey fleet dispatches less than half of the warships to perform tasks at a time, while the British fleet is like this. One ultra-dreadnought and three dreadnoughts form a unit, and then every third. Rotate every day.

"If I simply face the Germans' former dreadnoughts, I would not worry much. The number of capital ships of the Germans in previous operations generally did not exceed 5, which may be 3 battleships and 2 armored cruisers, or it may be In turn, they have the strongest firepower with 18 12-inch L40 artillery and 16 10-inch artillery, while we have 10 13.5-inch artillery and 30 12-inch L50 artillery. As long as we can stare at the opponent, then fight The result has been determined, and I now have a plan in this area and have started preparations. That's good. Now, let me talk about my concern, how do we get in and out of the battlefield safely!" said Lieutenant General Thomas.

After all, Lieutenant General Thomas had participated in the Indian Ocean expeditionary operations. He has a very deep understanding of the changes in the ship's condition and the fatigue of the personnel after the long mission. Although the Strait of Dover is an offshore operation, it is a long-term process. For more than ten days or even dozens of days, the British and German fleets have to send fleets out to sea every day, and after going out to sea, no matter what, something will happen every day. In battle, sometimes there will be some losses, which makes the fleet and personnel very tired. Although the German fleet claims to have 7 former dreadnought battleships and 4 armored cruisers, one was ambushed by British submarines before, and now there are 10 capital ships.

Many of these battleships were injured in previous battles, and there were also those that needed repair and maintenance due to mechanical problems. Therefore, in terms of normal artillery battles, Thomas was not afraid of the German fleet at all, even if Germany dispatched 6 battleships a day? However, the 36 12-inch guns are not as thick and short as the barrels, and the number is still not as good as the British Navy... What if two armored cruisers are added? That would definitely not be able to beat the Thomas fleet!

Therefore, for Thomas, the most critical issue for the British fleet is how to safely enter and exit the Strait of Dover. You must know that in this area, there are not only German pre-dreadnought ships, but also submarines and minefields. The thing is, Thomas can be sure that if the German fleet learns about the dispatch of the British battleship, it will definitely intercept itself halfway! At the same time, Thomas was also very clear that the so-called response of the Great Fleet was only not far away from the Gulf of Forth, and Jericho told Thomas in private that the British Great Fleet would try to avoid fighting with the High Seas Fleet. A battleship can be discarded when necessary!

"The plan of the aviation team is like this. After daybreak, we will deploy reconnaissance aircraft and some fighter jets in this area to conduct air patrols. When we find the returning fleet, then we will take off the remaining aircraft with the fleet all the way north. , Used to resist the pursuit of German land-based aviation, and to give early warning to the German fleet." An officer from the Marine-based Air Force drew a circle in the east coast of Britain, said.

This area is relatively north, and theoretically belongs to the area that the British fleet should reach before dawn at a speed of 15 knots. As for why the patrol plane was arranged to search the British fleet? The reason is very simple. The British fleet did not dare to open the radio to tell the navy’s position. In fact, the method proposed by this British officer was similar to what Crown Prince Ruprecht had expected. It belonged to the schedule **** system-at the prescribed time, you Go to the designated area, and then the air force will cover you northward!

"What about submarines? And the minefields that the Germans may randomly deploy." Thomas asked.

"This destroyer and minesweeper attached to the large fleet are in charge. We will use coastal areas as our home port to continuously search and clear the sea areas on the fleet route. Colleagues, we will also deploy mines in certain areas, or Set up the sunken ship and block the route of the submarine. If your fleet is more careful, it is not a big problem." A British naval officer said.

Subsequently, several British naval staff officers began to use different color markers on a huge chart to indicate the routes that the British fleet could choose. At the same time, they marked the sunken ship blocking belt, anti-submarine nets, and Minefields and other defense facilities Your Excellency Lieutenant General, I have a question. According to the schedule, we should prepare to return from 3am. If the Germans know this rule, then enter after 3am. What shall we do in the case of the Strait of Dover? "An army officer said.

"It's very simple. Of course, the last ship to leave France at night should not be later than 3 am. We start to ship from 9 pm to 3 am, which is about 6 hours. Of course, if the army If you feel that the time is not enough, you can extend the time appropriately, but the navy fleet can only provide 6 hours of cover." Thomas said. He was also very sympathetic to what happened to the British Expeditionary Force at this time, but sympathy returned to sympathy, and some things in principle could not be changed by him.

"In six hours, we may not even be able to withdraw 10,000 people! The German ultra-long-range heavy artillery can already hit Dunkirk Port, and we can only transport it by assault boat or motorboat in some inconspicuous places. People board the big ship, this speed is already very slow, and you and your fleet can only cover 6 hours!" the army officer said angrily.

"So I arranged this battle plan, we can severely damage the German fleet, and then fundamentally weaken the German navy's blockade of the strait!" Tomas said in this way, simple cover is a temporary solution, only efforts to destroy Germany Fleet, the British sea retreat plan will be safe! Anyway, the German High Seas Fleet will not easily enter the strait. As long as it can severely damage the German dreadnought squadron, the pressure on the British retreat at sea will be very small!

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