The Rise of the Empire

The prince's opinion is that if you don't want to move, then play a big game. Moreover, most of the battleships of the German High Seas Fleet are fast battleships. At least it's faster than the Grand Fleet, so it's better to come out all at once. If you encounter the British battlecruiser and the Queen, you can harden them, and if you encounter the Grand Fleet, just run away... Only in this way can the advantage of mobility be brought into play! \u003c/p\u003eWell, the prince suddenly found that there was something wrong with his thinking. He was led into a pit by Tirpitz, and he began to pay attention to the PK issue of the main fleets of both sides. The prince's original intention was to focus on breaking up diplomatic relations and fighting against the blockade. It is obviously impossible to solve these two problems after completely destroying the British Grand Fleet. To break the handover, it was left to the submarines to take the lead, plus two fast battleships cruising in the Indian Ocean and a camouflaged raider who didn't know where they were. So now, what the prince is most concerned about is the anti-blockade battle! To put it more clearly, it is how to break through the 75-kilometer North Sea outlet between the Shetland Islands and Norway. \u003c/p\u003e "Do you know what I am most concerned about recently besides commanding the land campaign?" After glancing at the somewhat confused German High Seas Fleet officers, the prince continued: "The supplies we imported through neutral countries this month It's declining. We are one hundred thousand tons short of supplies. This is a very serious problem for the entire empire. Do you know why?"\u003c/p\u003e "But this shouldn't be the responsibility of our navy, right? We are... ...." Tirpitz said inexplicably. \u003c/p\u003e "If it is not under the control of the Navy, why should it be under the control of the Army?" Ruprecht angrily threw the documents in his hand on the table. "I have discussed the situation at sea with you countless times. After nearly ten years, you still don't know the difference between the purpose and means of fighting the British at sea! Now, I actually have to repeat it to you again. Again!"\u003c/p\u003e "The purpose of the German Imperial Navy is to use submarines and external warships to minimize the supplies that the British obtain by sea. I think you should understand this, and the other purpose is to break the British The blockade of the German Empire!"\u003c/p\u003e "But Your Highness, the blockade set up by the British at the entrance and exit of the North Sea is very close to the Grand Fleet, and it is impossible for us to send the main fleet to control it. In addition, I need to explain One thing is that we are also using submarines and auxiliary cruisers to ambush British warships on the blockade. But now, the British have transferred a large number of armored cruisers and auxiliary cruisers to the North Sea blockade, and our ambush effect is declining!" Tire Pitts argued! \u003c/p\u003e "I understand all the problems you mentioned, but this is no excuse! Before I tell you my strategy, I will first explain the problems of the two sides in the blockade and counter-blockade operations in the previous stage. The British's response to the North Sea The blockade actually has two lines. The first is the auxiliary cruiser in the Norwegian Sea, and the second is the blockade between the Shetland Islands and Bergen. The first blockade is mainly auxiliary cruisers improved by merchant ships. Conduct inspections. These ships are relatively slow, so for this line of defense, my strategy is very simple. Use high-speed merchant ships under the name of Americans to force their way through! As long as they reach Norway, they can transport the goods to Germany through the Norwegian railway. "\u003c/p\u003e"In fact, this effect is indeed good. From the beginning of the war to the present, the fast merchant fleet controlled by the Kingdom of Bavaria alone can guarantee a monthly transportation volume of more than 100,000 tons! And this transportation line is still normal now. The British do not have that many high-speed ships to intercept these ultra-fast transport ships converted from cruise ships! This is a very important achievement for us to break through the British blockade."\u003c/p\u003e As a half ally of the German Empire, Before the formal declaration of war, Germany's more than 20 large cruise ships and fast merchant ships scattered around the world were successfully converted into merchant ships owned by American companies.

They flew the flag of a neutral country and, together with some American merchant ships, transported vital supplies to the German Empire. These ships travel between the United States and Norway all year round. After they deliver the supplies to Norway, they have completed their mission. What? What about the British lockdown, you ask? Easy to handle! Isn't the biggest advantage of high-speed merchant ships speed? It would be too easy for those transport ships that are as fast as light cruisers to break through the blockade established by auxiliary cruisers converted from old merchant ships! \u003c/p\u003eIt makes sense for the United States to become an American empire. Those improved transport ships can be described as part-time. Take the Lusitania modified by the Americans as an example. (Does this name sound familiar? ?) The displacement of this merchant ship is 31,550 tons! The speed is 26 knots, which is faster than 99% of the ships in the world! \u003c/p\u003eHowever, the Americans still felt that it was not enough. They first cleared the entire cruise ship of all things that were not related to transportation. In this way, the weight of the ship was reduced by thousands of tons! At the same time, in order to defend against possible mines, the Americans added various fillers such as cork to the watertight cabin to prevent water from entering. After some improvements, this merchant ship can transport 25,000 tons of various materials, and can guarantee a speed of more than 27 knots in the Norwegian Sea! \u003c/p\u003eWhy did you ask how this ship escaped? The reason is simple. Converting a luxury cruise ship into a transport ship can save most of the weight. Second, when we reach the Norwegian Sea and are almost close to our destination, the ship has less fuel, so the load will become lighter and the speed will naturally increase... In the face of such a ship, unless the British use tigers and lions, otherwise, in the Norwegian Sea where the sea conditions are not good, it is impossible for a light cruiser to intercept it. Maybe some cruisers can drive at a speed of 27 knots, but that is In still water and high sea conditions, small boats generally do not drive as fast as large boats! \u003c/p\u003eNo, in the last "Norwegian Sea Rally", a British light cruiser targeted the stowaway, and a 10-hour rally broke out between the two sides! The British cruiser once increased its speed to more than 25 knots! However, in the end, we had to give up because the coal filling personnel were too tired and several steam pipelines failed! The Lusitania successfully got rid of the British because they used a chain furnace to mechanically add coal! Therefore, there will be no problem of insufficient manpower. At the same time, the potential of this ship is far from exhausted, and it treats the British with an almost playful attitude! \u003c/p\u003e(It is normal for battleships to sail at high speeds to cause personnel collapse or power failure. The Lion in the Battle of Dogger Sandbank was troubled by manual coaling, and the Goeben also appeared on the way to escape. There is a problem with the steam pipeline. Since the cruise ships at that time had sufficient space and weight, they could use chain furnaces to load coal, which was an advantage in sustained high-speed sailing!)\u003c/p\u003eContinuing with the third update today~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~! ! \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e