Chapter 1019 The End
Chapter 1019 The End
"This result is quite good. At least it has bought us half a year to solve the Balkan issue!" Looking at the battle report sent by the count, Prince Rupresit nodded with satisfaction. With the merger of the two fleets of the Allied Powers, the maritime power of the Allied Powers in the Mediterranean finally became a fist again, and the supplies and accessories brought by the Austro-Hungarian fleet also created favorable conditions for the future Battle of the Dardanelles and the attack on the Black Sea. condition. Of course, more importantly, Count Spee's actions bought enough time for the situation of the entire campaign. To a certain extent, the Count's actions gave a new look to the situation on the entire Eastern Front and the Balkan Front!
The French fleet was severely damaged, and several seriously damaged warships had to return to the mainland for repairs. The remaining fleet was not enough to maintain an absolute advantage. In front of Count Spee, which was almost a high-speed battleship, it was in a position where it was possible to defeat, but An embarrassing situation that is absolutely impossible to escape. For the sake of safety, the French fleet will definitely temporarily shrink back to the mainland.
Of course, the British may also send a battleship squadron to provide support, but they will definitely not stay for too long. Otherwise, if the British fleet does not return after the eighth Bavarian battleship is commissioned, the prince will have some ideas... . The ninth Bavaria-class battleship can be put into service as early as next month, which is less than 30 days!
Once the French fleet withdraws from the Eastern Mediterranean, the entire Indian Ocean-Mediterranean-Atlantic route will be completely cut off. Whether it is a submarine or a blockade by such capital ships, this route can be easily cut off! From this perspective, strategically the Allies already have a great advantage!
Another advantage is the clarity of the situation in the Balkans. After withdrawing from the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea will become the back garden of the Allies! The foreign aid and supplies that Serbia and Macedonia have been waiting for will be cut off! This will make life very easy for the Austro-Hungarian army on the southern front, and Greece's attitude may also change accordingly. It remains to be seen whether to join the Allies. It can be said with certainty that before the French fleet returns to the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkan princes don’t have to worry about it at all! The prince can focus all his attention on the Eastern Front and prepare for the upcoming Polish pocket operation!
It will probably take at least four months for the French and Japanese fleets to fully recover, plus preparations and at least half a year for entering a stable situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The prince's first campaign against Russia was based on attrition of opponents and exploratory attacks. The main battle will begin in one week, and the limited offensive in Silesia on the southern front will also begin in two weeks. According to the plan, it will only take 4 to 5 months at most to complete the attack on the entire Polish pocket!
In other words, after solving the Polish pocket and severely damaging the Russian army, we can rest for a month and then join forces and move south! By then, it shouldn't be a big problem to kill Serbia in a devastating way, and even bloodletting the Allies in the Battle of the Dardanelles will be possible! Once the enemy forces in the Balkans are completely eliminated, the communication between Germany and Austria and the Middle East will be smoother. The oil, food and other materials in the Middle East will be very helpful in supporting the Allies in the long-term war.
As for the so-called joy and sorrow, while the prince was ambitiously planning the next phase of the campaign, the British were thinking about how to wipe the French's butt.
"What? Are the big guys in the cabinet crazy? Asking us to send a battleship fleet to the Mediterranean to help the French stabilize the situation at this time?! Didn't the Japanese fleet just go to the Mediterranean?" When Jericho saw the Minister of the Navy After receiving the telegram from Churchill, he was shocked.
"The situation in the Mediterranean is very bad now. The two Japanese battleships were severely damaged because they encountered an overwhelmingly superior enemy. According to the feedback from the French, the Fuso and Hyuga will have to be kept in the dock for at least four months, while the French fleet is also the same The losses were heavy. In the anchorage near Crete, there were still 4 battleships that were severely damaged or sitting on the bottom. The number of battleships currently available to the French fleet is not even as many as the Allied fleets! And if you want to change this situation, We must at least cover the French retreat from the Eastern Mediterranean with those severely damaged warships, right?"
Churchill was also very upset. He was also a little dissatisfied with the high-level request to bring back the fleet at this time, but now, he had to be patient and convince Jericho.
"In other words, our assistance is only to allow the French to withdraw from the Eastern Mediterranean, instead of staying here to fight for a long time?" Jericho frowned and asked.
"That's it. We only need to help the French withdraw. It will only take a month, and then your fleet will return to the North Sea. Isn't our Queen class almost repaired? We can let them out for a while. " Churchill said.
"There are already eight Bavaria-class battleships on the opposite side. Do you want the Queen to leave at this time?" Jericho rolled his eyes at the other party and said. "Don't think about the fast fleet. There are up to 4 super-dreadnoughts equipped with 343MM main guns. You should know that now, our 15-inch guns are a threat to the Germans!"
"Okay, let's do this for now. I guarantee that your fleet will come back safely within a month." After Jericho agreed in principle, Churchill finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Actually, the Japanese should bear more responsibility." Jericho said half-complaining and half-seriously. "It is said that they fought pretty well this time and suppressed the Helgeland-type fast battleship in a 2V2 head-on battle."
"It's like this. Their navy's performance is much better than that of their army, and it's even better than the French in terms of quality. But Japan is a small country after all, and with speculative ideas, they are destined not to do their best for the war in Europe. ” said Churchill. "If you want them to send more warships, I'm afraid the price will be very, very high!"
And Churchill was very right. After the battle, the first sentence in the first telegram written by Kato Nobuyoshi to the Japanese cabinet was: Europe is very dangerous, so be careful when adding more money... After the political and strategic matters have come to an end, the officers participating in the war on both sides must summarize the experiences and lessons learned from this battle. After all, there are many issues worth learning and thinking about. Especially this time, the two sides are almost evenly matched, and both have exposed some problems. Learning and improvement are very meaningful for future wars!
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